Romantic
by Ilovedesserts
Summary: Set in Season 4, starting with Episode 5...Sharon turns down the romantic dinner invitation. These characters are not my own;I just enjoy writing about them. A/U but weaves in and out of the actual show's storyline.
1. Chapter 1

"Romantic?" she twirled her finger in the air and repeated the question. She fought the urge to look him in the eye, but since he'd been the one to suggest the idea, she knew she owed it to him to face him and not shy away. Sharon could feel the heat rising to her face; she knew she was flushed, and yet, she couldn't escape from this awkward situation.

"Well, yeah," he shrugged, "that's how it's described."

"I see," she nodded and looked to the ground. She bit her lip; this was so not what she had expected from Andy. A romantic date? Why did he want to go on a romantic date with HER? Sharon knew the situation was only getting worse as the seconds dragged on, so she looked up to see his sweet face looking back at her. It took all her courage, but she opened her mouth and almost surprised herself with the words that came out of it.

"Andy, I'm sorry, I just," she paused and frowned at him. She shrugged and tried to explain with her eyes. Andy's eyes met hers, and she couldn't explain it, but there was an instant he knew. She knew. "I just don't think that would be a good idea."

"Right," Andy nodded. He put his hands in his pockets and looked to the ground. Suddenly, he hated his yellow tie, a tie that looked so promising. He knew Sharon loved yellow, yellow flowers, and she'd once commented on how cheery his yellow tie was. He'd thought of that earlier in the morning as he'd picked it out, and now it screamed 'knife through heart' to Andy. "Hey, it's fine," he gestured with his hand. "Sharon, don't worry about it. It was just an idea," he tried to get out of the conversation as quickly as he could. "I'm sure the restaurant isn't all that great, and who needs romance," he tried to shrug it off, play off the situation as just no big deal.

"Andy, it's just that with work, the timing of all, Rusty," she shook her head, "I just am not sure."

"Sharon," he reached over and touched her arm, and he instantly regretted that because all he wanted to do was to pull her toward him and never let go, but instead, he said, "really, it's okay. We're okay."

Sharon just silently nodded; the tension had set in as quickly as fog rolls in over the ocean. "Ahh, where's Hobbs?" she asked, now wanting to just run, but this was Andy, her Andy, well, he wasn't hers, but her friend Andy, and she couldn't just run. She couldn't face him either now; the situation was horribly awkward and needed to end.

"Interview One, I believe," he nodded.

"I should go," she hooked her hand over her shoulder. Andy just nodded, and Sharon tried to catch his eye, but he turned his head slightly as to not even have to watch her walk away. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said quietly to him as she offered him a small smile and then turned to move away quickly. She didn't dare look back; she couldn't look back. She'd just turned down her friend, really her best friend, a guy who wanted nothing more than to take her on a romantic date. She didn't care where anyone was in the building; she just needed to get away from Andy. Once she'd cleared the room, she walked quickly to the restroom, where after she checked to see it was empty, she sank back against the door and closed her eyes. Andy had wanted to date her. She'd said no, a decision she was still standing firm about even now, but now, things would be awkward. She closed her eyes and stomped her foot, which she regretted; it hurt doing that in heels. Sharon couldn't decide how long she should wait in the bathroom, but she figured Andy wouldn't hang around to wait for her. So, she put the file on the counter, and she started to pace. Various thought flooded through her mind, most of which included thoughts of Andy over the last year. She started to think, about him, her own life, and what had just happened in the other room. When she'd finally gotten enough of that, she made her way back to her office, hoping against hope she wouldn't run into anyone.

Empty.

The room was empty, and it suddenly felt cold. It hadn't felt cold before, but it did now. Andy had gone home for the evening as she'd expected he would. All the desks were now empty. Sharon wiped her face, not sure when the lone tear had formed, but she wiped it away, and she looked to Andy's desk. It was neat and tidy as it always was. His chair had been pushed in, his computer turned off, all part of his normal routine. There was no sign there that Sharon Raydor had single-handedly broken his spirit just a few minutes earlier. Sharon turned to her office and nodded as she saw her desk light still on. She also saw her phone sitting there, just where she'd left it all before the little mess had occurred. She decided to call Rusty, to focus on dinner and their evening. Hopefully, by morning, she would be ready to face Andy again because work couldn't be awkward.


	2. Chapter 2

"Earth to Sharon," Rusty said once again as he tried to get her attention. The two were sitting at the table with dinner in front of them, dinner Sharon had picked up on the way home, but even as she looked at it, she didn't remember picking it up. Since she'd left work, her mind had been on auto-pilot, well, at least her focus on many things. Her mind couldn't stop focusing on the conversation she'd had with Andy at work.

"Hmm?" she tried to smile as she looked at Rusty. He turned his head and gave her an odd look.

"What's going on? You've been out of it since you got home, and even with the Chinese food, you ordered like way too much. Wait, is the lieutenant coming for dinner? You ordered some of the things he likes, but neither you nor I like." Rusty frowned as he continued to poke through the Chinese food containers. At the mention of "lieutenant," Sharon's head snapped up as she glanced to Rusty. He noticed the quick movement, and then he nodded. "Sharon, you could have told me to wait on dinner. If he's coming over, I would have waited. I didn't know he-"

"He's not coming for dinner, Rusty," Sharon shook her head as she let out a sigh. "I just wasn't thinking."

Rusty gave her a puzzled look as he tried to figure out the problem. "Okay," he said slowly as he nodded. "Well, I can just box up this extra food, the stuff the lieutenant likes, and you can just take it to work tomorrow. No reason to go to waste, and I'm sure he'd eat it for lunch."

"Rusty," Sharon sighed as she looked to the ceiling. Rusty gave her another look.

"Sharon, something is wrong. You aren't telling me something. What's going on?" he asked again. "Oh, do you have dinner plans tomorrow? If you are worried about the Chinese, it will keep for a couple days. If you two are going to dinner tomorrow and don't' want a big lunch, it's not that big of a deal, Sharon."

"No, we aren't going to dinner tomorrow, Rusty!" she exclaimed, and instantly she regretted her tone. She looked to Rusty, who now had a surprised expression on his face. She reached over to pat his hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I've just got a lot on my mind."

"Sorry, Sharon," Rusty nodded to her. "You can go," he nodded toward her room and continued, "go, call the lieutenant like you normally do when you need to talk something out after a case. I know he's a good listener for you. I'll clean up."

"No, Rusty, it's not that," she sighed again and put her head against her clasped hands. Rusty watched her, still not sure of the issue. "I don't think Andy and I will be going to dinner anytime soon, maybe ever again."

Rusty frowned at her, "Did you two have a fight? Just call him, Sharon," Rusty encouraged. "Better yet, just go over there and fix it. You are both strong-willed, so just start talking. I'm sure it's not that bad."

Sharon gave him a sad smile, "I wish it was that easy. Andy wanted to take me to dinner."

Rusty nodded as he tried to figure out the problem, "Ooooookayyyy," he drew out the word as he still wasn't seeing the issue. "Umm, Sharon, you two go to dinner, like all the time, like at least three days a week, whether it's out to eat, here, or his house. It's probably more than that," he nodded as he thought to himself. "I'm not counting work nights when you either eat with the whole team or eat with him just there at work. If you count that, it's probably five nights a week, at least."

"It's not the same," Sharon said, still giving Rusty almost cryptic answers.

"Sharon, if you want to talk, just spill it. I'm sorry, but I'm not seeing the problem or the reason for a fight. You fought over going to dinner?" he questioned.

"Rusty," Sharon paused as she thought about discussing this with Rusty. She looked to him, and she aw the concern. She decided to tell him, as he would continue to ask, if she didn't, and he deserved to know why Andy wouldn't be around the condo as much. Sharon folded her hands in her lap as she sat back in her chair, and she faced Rusty again. "Rusty, Andy asked me to dinner," she stated in a flat tone. She didn't add emotion, and she didn't look Rusty in the eye. She looked to the floor, as she continued with her explanation. "He asked me to dinner, to a romantic dinner at a restaurant."

Rusty stared at Sharon, and she could feel it. She looked to him and noted his puzzled expression, and then she could see things clicking with him.

"Wait, oh," his eyes grew wide as the realization sunk in, and he looked to her, again puzzled. "Wait, romantic, like a date? Sharon, you go out with him all the time, as I just described. If it's not dinner, it's a movie, a baseball game, dinner at Nicole's house. What's wrong with a romantic dinner?" he asked, and as he asked, again he started to shake his head. "Are you telling me all this time, it hasn't been umm, romantic?" he grimaced as he asked.

He looked to Sharon, and she just offered a small shrug and looked away. "Rusty," she sighed.

"You haven't kissed the guy, Sharon? Are you serious?" Rusty exclaimed. "Here, I thought I just didn't have to see it. I figured you two were okay about keeping it out of sight with me. You've been dating a guy for what, a year or more, and nothing? As much as I don't want to know, Sharon, that's cold."

Sharon sighed and put her hand to her mouth, as to almost stop any words from coming out of it. "Rusty, my relationship with Andy is not your business."

"It is when he's here all the time. Sharon, we all, like all the kids, assumed you two were some couple. Now, you are telling me you've just been really going to dinner with the guy, so tonight, he wanted to take you out and used romantic? What did you say?"

"I said no!" Sharon exclaimed, as she had finally reached her limit. Her emotions flooded to the surface. "Rusty, I said no. I didn't want to go to a romantic restaurant with him."

"Oh," Rusty nodded, as he finally understood. "So, he suggested like a real date, and you don't want that? You don't want to date the lieutenant? The idea of kissing him," Rusty made a gagging sound and a disgusted face, "grosses you out as much as it does me?"

Sharon slightly shook her head, "No, it's not that," she replied. "It's, it's, it's complicated," she stammered. Rusty sat there and listened as she stumbled over her words. "It's just too much."

"For whom?" Rusty grinned. He pointed at Sharon. "See, I've got this grammar thing down now that I'm in school, Sharon."

Sharon rolled her eyes at Rusty's attempt at humor, "Work is an issue. You are an issue," she started to explain.

"Me!" Rusty exclaimed. "Hey, I might be grossed out by the thought of the guy with his tongue down your throat, but don't make me the excuse."

"Rusty!" Sharon scolded him. "That is not appropriate to discuss."

"Still," Rusty shrugged. "Don't make me the bad guy. Last thing I need is a Flynn on back."

"Rusty, he won't blame you," Sharon told him. She wiped her face, sure that another tear was about to fall.

"Sharon, why did you say no? If it's complicated, why? You seem to like the guy," Rusty pointed out.

"I like Andy very much," she offered a sad smile. "I just think it would be awkward with work."

"Work? They don't care. Seriously, Sharon, they don't. They've got a betting pool going all the time with different things for you two. I think the latest betting pool was from the Dodger game. The team thought you two might hold hands or something at the game."

Sharon looked to Rusty, almost horrified. "Rusty!"

"What?" he shrugged. "I'm telling you. They don't care, and so what if they find humor in the two of you. They bet on everything. I think Julio wins most bets. That guy is like a romantic under all the tough guy stuff."

Sharon shook her head, "Exactly, my team mocks something that isn't even there."

"Sharon, that's just it. They like you both. Don't make that the issue either, and by the way, they also think the two of you have been dating a long time, a LONG time. If I suggested you hadn't kissed the guy," Rusty nodded, "wow, I could make some serious cash." Sharon glared at him, and then he quickly added, "Oh, which I won't because I won't discuss your private life with the lieutenant to the team."

Sharon stood, now visibly frustrated. "Rusty, I know you have tried, but this is something I need to deal with on my own."

"Did you talk to Andrea or someone at least? I know you two are friends," he pointed out to her.

"Alone," Sharon nodded. "I'm going to clean this up and go to bed."

"Sharon, I'll clean up, and I'll pack up the leftover for the lieutenant. You can still take them to him at work. Wait, is work going to be awkward now? That's messed up, Sharon," he nodded. "You don't want to make work awkward by dating him, but by turning down the guy, you made work awkward."

Sharon took a deep breath, "I'm aware, Rusty. Thank you for cleaning up dinner." She nodded to him, "I'm going to take a bath and head to bed."

As Sharon waved to him and started to her room, Rusty yelled out again, "Sharon, just talk to the guy. He's way better than Jack, and he's totally into you."

Sharon heard the last remark as she entered her room. She closed the door, and much like at work in the bathroom, she sunk back against the door and closed her eyes. She wiped another tear, as she thought back over her conversation with Rusty, her teenage son, who had more perspective and more clarity than she seemed to have at the moment. Yes, he had been making fun of the situation somewhat, but he had pointed out a great deal, things that were true. Had she messed this all up by saying no to Andy? And, why was she crying all the time? Sharon pushed away from the door to start her bath. Clarity is what she needed, yet what she didn't seem to have.

The night was long, or short, depending on perspective. Sharon didn't sleep a wink, making the night drag on forever. It also seemed to fly by, as she sat on her bed, stuck in her emotions one minute, and at a glance of the clock, three hours had gone by. Rusty had long gone to bed, a quick, "Night, Sharon," through her door as she sat on her bed. She was pretty sure she'd answered him, but even that was unclear this morning. It was morning, or very early morning. Sharon had spent the night thinking. She'd thought of everything, about Andy, about the kids, about work, even about Jack, and she'd concluded that she had been what Provenza would say is an idiot. She didn't want Andy out of her life, proof by the pictures scattered all over her bed. She had picture after picture, all from a stack in her nightstand, of outings with Andy and even Andy with all the kids, and it just put their life in front of her. It was their life; she'd been part of his life for a long time and he part of hers, and she had their life in pictures on her bed. He was more than a friend, even if she'd not recognized it or was scared to acknowledge it. She didn't want to lose him, and she'd decided to go over and tell him. It needed to be done in person before work. She'd missed him already; their usual nightly phone call hadn't happened, and she knew she'd hurt him. Now, she just needed to get her life, their life, back on track.

So, well before 5:00, she started for Andy's house. She left Rusty a quick note that she'd see him for dinner (hopefully), as she had written it. She also picked up the Chinese food leftovers Rusty had put in the refrigerator. She had chuckled at his labeling. Just as she often had packed him a sack lunch for school, he'd done the same with the paper take-out bag. One was simply labeled, "Raydor," and the other said, "Flynn." Sharon grabbed those on her way out the door, dressed in one of her favorite suits, a black one with the green shirt. Andy had always liked this suit on her, and she always felt good in it. She needed to feel good about herself this morning. Sharon was timing it to arrive around 5:30 to Andy's house. He normally left just before 6:00 to make his long commute to work, and she figured if she arrived at 5:30 it would give them a few minutes to talk while he ate his breakfast. She had even decided she would offer to drive them both to work, giving them more time in the car to talk, even if it meant taking Andy home later. That, she wouldn't mind; it would give her more time with Andy, and now that she'd made such a dumb mistake and almost let him go, she'd take whatever time she could with him.

The house was dark when she arrived. The garage was closed, as it normally was. Andy had a large garage for the size of his house, but he had room for his car on one side and his work bench area on the other. She parked and stepped out of the car. Sharon smiled at the silence; she always enjoyed coming to Andy's house because it was much quieter than her own neighborhood. She could hear her heels clicking on the concrete as she made her way to his door to knock. She messed with her hair, a nervous habit, but she was nervous. She knocked again. Nothing. Silence. She tried to look in through his living room window, but the house was dark and silent. Nothing. He wasn't home. It was 5:30 in the morning, on a normal workday, and Andy wasn't home.


	3. Chapter 3

Sharon's shoulders slumped as she walked into the office and noted Andy was not there. She had hope on her drive to work that she would see him. She hadn't seen his car in the garage on her way up, but that hope had still been there. Sighing, she shook her head and looked around to the almost empty room. It was still early, early for everyone, and she'd made good time on her drive from Andy's place. Her mind had thought of many things, none of which explained where Andy was. She glanced to Provenza's desk and noted his suit coat was on the back of the chair. That man always arrived to work first; Sharon had no idea what time he came in each day, but he was always the first one there. She and Andy had joked about it before on many occasions. Before going to her office, she decided to put the Chinese food away, the food she still had in her hand, two bags, one marked for Andy and one for Sharon.

"Lieutenant," she gave a small nod and smile to Provenza as she walked into their break room area. Provenza looked up from his paper and bowl of cereal.

"Captain," he nodded to her. "What did you bring there?" he gestured to the bag.

Sharon slightly held up the two bags, with the names visible on them, "Oh, ahh, leftover Chinese," she shrugged.

"Well, I certainly hope that's not what made Flynn sick. If it is, get rid of it," he made a face.

Sharon turned sharply from the refrigerator area, "Sick? What do you mean? Andy's sick?" Sharon looked to Provenza, now horrified, as he turned in his seat to face her.

"Wait, you didn't know?" he asked, visibly confused. "I assumed you knew, that you had checked on him."

"No," Sharon now stammered as she slammed the refrigerator door with the food inside. "What's wrong with him?"

"I assume he ate something," Provenza shrugged. "As I said, throw out that Chinese if it's the culprit."

"Andy didn't eat with me last night," Sharon explained. "I haven't spoken to him since ahh, the office last evening."

Provenza looked to her, and then he looked her up and down as he shook his head, "You look terrible yourself, Captain, if I have to say so, and I am going to say so. The office last night?" he questioned. He glared at Sharon, "What did Flynn last say to you when he left the office last night?"

Sharon's eyes grew wide, as she looked to Provenza. One look at him, and they both knew what had been discussed. "Lieutenant, we, ah, had a discussion."

Provenza stood now with his empty bowl and pointed his spoon at Sharon, "He spoke to you about dinner, didn't he?"

Sharon looked away quickly and then back to Provenza. She could see the annoyance on his face, "Look, I made a mistake," she explained. "He caught me off guard. I told him I didn't think it was a good idea."

"You what?" Provenza exclaimed.

"I know, I know!" Sharon exclaimed as she started to gesture with her hands. "I panicked. It took me all night and a talk from Rusty to get me to see that yes, I'm an idiot as you have pointed out on many occasions."

"You turned him down for dinner? He's been after you for years, and you seemed to be falling in right behind him, the two lost puppies finding each other," he complained. "Captain, if you weren't interested, why did you let it go on this long?"

"I am interested!" Sharon exclaimed again, and this time looked to the door, almost afraid someone would overhear the two. She lowered her voice, "I am interested in Andy. I care about him very much. I panicked. I'm not exactly dating material, and I haven't done this in a long time. I also might be a little slow to realize that yes, we have been dating, even if we haven't, well," she rolled her eyes.

"Slept with him?" Provenza huffed. "Well, I know that."

"I haven't kissed him, and he's been very respectful and only kissed me on the cheek a few times," Sharon explained. She huffed as she looked to the ceiling and shook her head.

"Are you kidding me? Flynn's been chasing you this long and really?" he asked.

"I know! I know!" Sharon exclaimed. "Idiot," she pointed to herself. "I don't know what I've been thinking, except that Andy would always be there, until he wasn't after I turned him down last night."

Provenza shook his head as he moved closer to Sharon. He had his cereal bowl in his hand to wash it in the sink, "So, you break the guy's heart, and here, today, he's called in sick for work."

"What did he say to you? Is he at your house?" Sharon's eyes grew wide.

"No! Why would he be at my place? If he were there, I'd know all the details of this soap opera. I think I'll title it, 'The Old and the Stupid' starring Lieutenant and Captain Idiots."

Sharon frowned at him, and she shook her head again, "Then, where is Andy?"

"I'd assume he's at home," Provenza shrugged. "Wait, why do you keep asking where he is?"

"Because!" she exclaimed again, the two standing very close near the sink. Her voice was still at the same level, so it sounded now like she was screaming at him. Provenza eyed her carefully, and she lowered her voice as she sighed. "I couldn't sleep; I thought about what a mistake I had made all night. I turned him away, and I should not have done that. I drove over there before 5:00 this morning to catch him before work. He wasn't home, and I hoped he'd gotten an early start this morning."

"No," Provenza frowned as he dug out his phone. "I had a voicemail on my phone this morning. I didn't bother to look at the time, but I assumed it came in while I was in the shower." Provenza pulled up the message as he explained things to Sharon. "3:45 this morning?" he questioned as he looked to Sharon. She shook her head.

"I was awake. I didn't sleep at all. He didn't call me; I wish he had," she looked up as she shook her head. "He didn't call. We always talk before bed. He left here after I turned him down, and that was the last I saw of him. We didn't eat together, and we usually do, and we didn't talk."

"But, all that day after day, heaven forbid, you call it dating and kiss the guy," Provenza rolled his eyes, "and I won't suggest anything more than that because I just ate and WILL lose my breakfast."

"Where is he?" Sharon said, now panicking.

"You're sure he wasn't home?" Provenza asked.

"I knocked, but no answer," she told him.

"Did you check the garage? Get out the hidden key?" he asked.

"No! I thought when he didn't answer, he wasn't there. I didn't investigate further than that," she told him.

"Let's go," Provenza told her. "We're going to drive over there now. I'm not going to call him; I have a bad feeling about this."

"He can't be drinking," Sharon whispered as she looked to Provenza. "He can't, not over me."

"We won't know until we go there," he told her. "The voicemail just said he was sick and wouldn't be in today."

"Did he sound sober?" Sharon asked. Provenza held up his hand as he pulled up the voicemail.

 _"Hey, it's me. Sick. I won't be in today. Later," Andy's message said._

"That's it?" Sharon asked.

"You're complaining?" Provenza asked. "Let's hear your message."

Sharon glared at him, "I'm driving."

"Oh, no you're not," Provenza gestured for her to move to the door. "I'm driving. You are in no shape to drive. Your mind is probably in a thousand different places, and Flynn is in each location with you."

The two walked back into the office area, and Provenza nodded to Mike, "Mike, we are going on a safety check."

Mike looked to the two, curious as to the destination. "Okay," he said slowly.

"Flynn called in sick, and well," he rolled his eyes, "it's complicated."

Mike looked to Sharon, and then he looked back to Provenza, "Ahh, yes, well, I hope you two find him. Keep me posted, and Captain, I'm sure everything will work out."

Sharon rolled her eyes again, as she gave a slight nod, "Mike, call us if anything develops."

"Mike, I'll call you when I know more," Provenza nodded to him and shook his head at Mike as Sharon started to the door. She didn't see the exchange, and Mike just nodded back at Provenza.

It took a few minutes to get to Provenza's car, and during that, the two didn't say anything. The elevator had been busy with people going all over the building, and finally after they were out of the parking garage and on the road, Sharon cleared her throat, "Do you think he's passed out?"

"I didn't want to call to find out," Provenza told her. "If he is, we need to deal with this in person. I would hope he has better sense than that." Sharon nodded, but then she suddenly let out a sob. She buried her head in her hands.

"Oh, this is all my fault. I was too stupid and scared to deal with Andy," she cried. Provenza fished around his console, and he handed her a pack of tissues.

"Here," he gestured to her. "Patrice made me start keeping these in the car. "Drinking is not your fault. You know that; you've spent most of your adult life dealing with one drunk. Drinking is a decision, Flynn's decision alone. If he made a dumb decision, that's not on you. Are you two better than this? Of course, you are. You two keep running, and you need to stop and deal with things. I don't know what we are going to find, but I didn't want to start with lies over the phone. We'll find out what he's doing."

Sharon just nodded, as she wiped her eyes. She shook her head, and the two were mostly silent the rest of the ride.

"Lieutenant, I think I'm going to be sick," Sharon told him as they turned onto Andy's street almost an hour later. She'd been quiet on the ride, her head back and eyes closed with the stress and lack of sleep getting to her. She opened them when the two got off the freeway, and now that they were on Andy's street, the stress was hitting her hard.

He turned slightly in his seat and frowned, "You're Captain Sharon Raydor. You do not buckle at stress. You deal with it. You've managed to survive your horrid ex-husband, Rusty and his mess, the Stroh situation, and this is not going to break you. He's still the same Flynn, no matter what we find. We know how he struggles, so no, you are not going to be sick," he told her. She just quietly nodded. Provenza pulled into Andy's driveway, and the two got out of the car.

"Quiet," Sharon said as she looked around again. She had just been here a couple hours before, and not much had changed, other than now it was daylight. Provenza nodded as he walked up to the front door. He'd left his suit coat in the car, whereas he'd normally wear it for a safety check. This wasn't a safety check, though, in that sense. He was at his best friend's house to drag him out of his stupor.

Provenza knocked, and he turned back to Sharon. She just shrugged as she tried to look in the window. "I knocked last time I was here too."

"His bell is broken," Provenza nodded, referring to the doorbell.

"Hmm, yes, I know that," Sharon gave him a small smile, acknowledging that she did come over here often.

After no answer, Provenza knocked again, and he turned to Sharon, "Do you know where he keeps the spare key?"

"Under the rock by the garage door? Yes, I do," she nodded. "I'll go get it."

"Yes?" they both were startled as the door opened. They had been turned to each other talking, and neither one realized the door had been opened. Both Sharon and Provenza turned to the door, and both were shocked at the sight.

"Police!" she exclaimed as she noticed Provenza's badge on his belt and then his gun on his side. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"WHO are you?" Provenza asked, as he took in her appearance. He glanced to Sharon, and she had turned ghostly white as she, too, was staring at the girl.

"I've done nothing to get the police here!" she fired back. "Who are you?"

"I'm the detective wondering why you are standing there in my best friend's shirt!" Provenza exclaimed again. Sharon turned away and put her hand to her forehead as she walked away from the door.

"Hey, ahh, I'm going to make something to eat," they heard, and Sharon spun around as she recognized the voice from inside the house. "Oh, umm, who's at the door?" he asked as he walked to the door.

"Provenza!" Andy exclaimed as he saw him first. Andy had walked up, hair still wet from a shower, and then he glanced beyond Provenza to see Sharon shaking her head as she paced the sidewalk. "Sharon!"

"Flynn," Provenza gestured to the girl and gave Andy a look.

"Oh, umm," he stammered as he looked at her.

"Ashlee," she nodded to Andy. "Remember, Ashlee with an 'e' like I kept telling you," she swatted at Andy. Andy's eyes grew wide as he caught Provenza's gaze, or glare.

"Ashlee with an e, can you step aside," Provenza gestured. "I don't know, but here's a thought, why don't you go put some clothes on, maybe your own clothing?"

Andy stood in the door, dumbfounded, as Provenza gestured for Ashlee to move. He held the door and looked to Sharon, who had her hand to her head and was back to pacing. She wasn't looking at Andy.

"Sharon," Andy called out and sighed. Provenza looked quickly at him.

"Don't," he said sternly. "Do not speak to her right now. What kind of an idiot are you? Get in your own house," he gestured with his hands, and Ashlee finally moved.

"So, we aren't in trouble?" she flashed a flirty smile at Andy.

"Not unless you are under 18," Provenza said under his breath, but loudly enough for Andy and Ashlee to hear him. She turned and grinned.

"Oh, don't be silly! I'm 23! My bestie was turning 21 last night, and we went out to party, all of us. There are like five of us who are besties. It was one of them. Oh, wait," she turned to Andy. "You said you were police, duh! I thought that was just a line! I still would have come home with you. My friends dared me after all."

Provenza sighed loudly, and Andy closed his eyes. "No line. I am a cop, a detective," he clarified. "Ashlee, go get dressed," he waved toward the rooms. Andy glanced at the window, and Sharon was now standing by the car, her hands on the roof of the car, and she was looking down. "What are you two doing here?" he said, exasperated through his teeth.

"I'm sorry," Provenza threw an irritated look his way. "I get a voicemail in the middle of the night that you aren't coming to work. Your girlfriend," he gestured to Sharon outside, "out there came over here at 5:30 this morning, and you weren't home, or so we thought. We were afraid you had tried to drown your sorrows and couldn't climb out of a bottle. So, here we are," he gestured to his feet.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Andy said rather loudly. "We were just getting home, I mean, I was just getting home when I called you. Sharon broke anything we might have had off with me last night. She's not my girlfriend."

"Oh, not yet!" Ashlee appeared and giggled as she heard the last part of Andy's statement. "My friends didn't believe I'd go home with an old guy, but hey, he was fun," she winked at Provenza. She gestured to him, "You?" she wrinkled her nose. "I don't know if I'd take the dare." Provenza eyed Ashlee in her leather mini skirt that barely covered anything. She had on black boots that went above her knee, and with that, she had on a strapless red top that left her stomach exposed. He looked to Andy, and Andy closed his eyes and sighed. "I don't have a boyfriend, but" she shrugged.

"Ashlee, take a seat," Provenza gestured to the couch, and he turned back to Andy. "She is NOT leaving here, yet, not with Sharon outside." Andy just nodded in agreement. "Now, why do you think Sharon came over here at 5:30 this morning?"

"I don't know," Andy told Provenza. "All I know is she and I are done, if you ever consider us even together," he grumbled.

"You idiot! She came over here to apologize and fix your soap opera! Never in a million years did either of us think we'd find you here. Your girlfriend, because we both know that's what she's been, has been worried sick about you. I had to talk her out of physically getting sick on the way here."

Andy eyed Provenza, "How do you talk someone out of getting sick?" he asked and shook his head. "Look, she made it very clear last night she wasn't interested in being my girlfriend or anything more."

"Yet, look who is probably getting sick on your front lawn," Provenza gestured.

"Ohh, is that lady throwing up? Wait, she's your girlfriend? That older lady?" Ashlee made a face at Andy and shook her head. "You didn't tell me you were involved with someone else. I'm not into being a home-wrecker."

Andy sighed again and looked to the ceiling. He looked back at Ashlee. "Look, it's complicated."

"Yes, she's his girlfriend," Provenza clarified as he looked to Ashlee. "Ashlee, did he drink last night?"

"Oh, no," she grinned. "He was very sober. I tried to get him a couple beers, but he told me he didn't drink, which is odd. Why come to a bar to hang out if you don't drink? My friends said the only reason you do that is to find a special someone," she smiled to herself and nodded.

"Ugh," Andy shook his head and looked away. "You know, you could have asked me if I had a drink."

"Well, I don't know what to think about anything now with you, Flynn. We show up and find this," he shook his head.

"Look, if I'm not in trouble with the police, can I go?" she asked.

"Ashlee, you aren't in trouble," Andy turned to her. "We, the three of us," he clarified, "are all detectives, police officers," he said to make sure she understood. The woman outside is my boss."

"And, his girlfriend, or was," Provenza nodded to clarify.

"You're dating your boss, and she's here now and saw us?" Ashlee said, now putting it together. "Oh."

"Bright one, Flynn," Provenza muttered under his breath. Andy glared at him.

"Why don't you get Sharon out of here?" Andy suggested. "Can we deal with this after I get Ashlee out of here?"

Provenza turned back to Andy, "You do realize that you've made a mess a total catastrophe now, don't you? She's younger than Nicole and Emily, and you know the captain has already thought about that!"

"Nicole? Emily? Other women you've seen?" Ashlee asked.

"No, his daughter and well, let's just say daughters," Provenza rolled his eyes at Andy and shook his head. Andy closed his eyes as the concept sunk in with him.

"Provenza, please," Andy pleaded with him. "I'm begging you to take Sharon anywhere, and let me get things situated here. I can deal with this all after I deal with things here," he explained.

"I'm going to take the captain back toward work. We are going to go to the deli by the office, and I'm going to call Mike and let him know that unless Stroh himself walked into our Murder Room, that Sharon is not to be bothered this morning. You are going to deal with this," he nodded his head toward Ashlee, "and then, after work, you are going to be at my place. No questions, no excuses. I'll let Patrice know; she has been moving her stuff in slowly the last few days, and I'm sure she can be the mediator for all of this. I'll bring the captain with me," he explained.

Andy just nodded, and Provenza turned quickly to move to the door. Andy followed and lowered his voice, "Provenza, wait, you said Sharon came here this morning?" Clearly, Andy was still shell-shocked at everything and just starting to process the situation.

"Of course, you idiot! She freaked out. When has she not freaked out about your relationship over the last few years? Everything has to sink in with her, and well, let's just say, that you two dating, it sunk in about, I don't know," he shrugged, "4:00 this morning, maybe. She's a mess, and she wanted to tell you that for whatever reason, she wanted to date your sorry self. I'm sure you know, now, that you can kiss that idea goodbye. Oh, wait," he rolled his eyes, "she also admitted that, too, that all this dating mess, the two of you hadn't even as much kissed. Flynn! This is a huge mess! You went from one extreme to another, from dating your boss for years and not even kissing her to sleeping with a girl! She's a girl! Flynn!"

"I know!" Andy exclaimed. "Provenza, I didn't drink. I wanted to drink, but I didn't. I must have been asleep when she came by; I didn't hear her at the door."

"That's supposed to get you a pat on the back, now?" Provenza glared at him. "As if not drinking, but bringing her home is better?"

"No! It's not, it's worse, worse for Sharon," he sighed. "I didn't drink, though."

"You didn't call me either, which you could have done," Provenza pointed out.

"I know! I messed up. Sharon broke anything off with me, and I messed up," he sighed.

"Oh, you've more than messed up, Flynn. Life as you know it is ruined-home, family, work, all ruined. Be at my house, 6:00 sharp."

Andy nodded, and before Provenza closed the door, he looked to Andy, "Just so there are no mixed signals," he smirked, "DO NOT bring Ashlee with you to my place."

"Provenza!" Andy exclaimed.

Provenza shrugged, "I had to make sure. It's like we don't even know you, Flynn."


	4. Chapter 4

Provenza wasn't sure what to expect when he got back into the car with Sharon, but an almost hour rant back to work wasn't it. As he thought about it, he might have expected tears, even some yelling, but an hour of it from Sharon, that was unexpected.

"What was he thinking?" Sharon said over and over as he drove. He sensed that he was getting the brunt of a couple years' worth of frustration on the Flynn front, even frustrations that maybe Sharon herself didn't know she had until now. The relationship the two had really had been a ticking time bomb, but Provenza just assumed the two would diffuse it when the whole dating nonsense was put to bed, well, not in the way Andy had.

"Sharon," he said to her on multiple occasions, but each time, he stopped himself from talking. Patrice had been "schooling" him on the art of listening, something he had not done well with his wives, and now that he was wanting to have Patrice move in with him and hopefully in the future, make things more permanent with her, he was trying to listen. Today, he needed to listen, to let her vent. He'd almost called her Captain as they started driving, but he figured the current situation was too intimate to be throwing around a title. Here, he and Sharon had just walked in on his best friend and her almost boyfriend with some young thing, a young thing Andy couldn't even remember the name. Not drinking. Provenza shook his head because whatever had happened with Andy the night before, he was acting like a drunk fool.

"I can't even put all the blame on Andy!" Provenza heard her yell, and he turned toward her to see where she was going with that statement. He raised his eyes at her as she continued. "I mean, I pushed him away over and over and over again. The man just wanted to be with me! Why is it so hard for me to see that? I put a stop to it yesterday, basically tearing his heart out, and why am I surprised that he tried to find comfort anywhere? What was he thinking!"

"Sharon," Provenza finally started again when she paused to catch her breath. He glanced at the clock, and yes, it had been almost an hour. He was just about back to work, and she was in no shape to go back to her office. "Look, Flynn and I have done some really stupid things in our lives and careers. Many of those things have made their way across your desk, first in IA, and even more recently as our direct boss. Now, I won't try to make myself out to be the perfect person either; I'm terrible at relationships, as you have seen and know. I admit to earlier days I've done some dumb things like what we've just witnessed. What I do know without a doubt is that Flynn, the idiot he is, loves you. Does that make all this right? No! It's a terrible mess, but he loves you, has for years. He's probably not even man enough to say it, but I'll say it for him because I know the idiot, and I know what he'd been going through with you the last few years. Now, I assumed you were actually dating, to the tune that you were at least kissing the man. That," he rolled his eyes at her, "even surprised me, and Flynn isn't the kind to kiss and tell. Now, this," he gestured, situation," he said slowly, "is a mess. I give you that, and you have your right to be frustrated and mad. The whole time I was talking to Flynn, he kept telling me that he wanted to drink, but he didn't. In some twisted way, he thinks that he's done some favor. Drinking would have been a terrible choice; you and I know that, and I know you well enough you would have taken all the guilt in that. What should Flynn have done? Obviously, he should have called me, or really, he should have talked this through with you. You and I are both his partners, just in different ways," he glanced to Sharon. She looked down at her hands, which were now clasped on her lap. She didn't look up to meet his gaze.

It was quite for a few moments while Provenza started to navigate the parking garage. As he circled up another level, Sharon said quietly, "I don't know how to move forward from here. I don't even want to deal with him at work, and that was precisely the reason I thought dating him was a bad idea."

Provenza parked before he spoke again, and when he put the car into park, he turned to her, "Sharon, I don't have a perfect solution for this. The guy is an idiot, no question about it. You will deal with him at work because that's what you do. He didn't do anything wrong professionally; you know that. You of all people can separate work and personal. You've done well this long, even if I can't stop groaning at all the puppy dog eyes the two of you give each other. Right now, we are going to walk to that elevator, take it to the ground floor, and we are going to walk across the street to the deli.

Sharon looked a little offended at being told what they were going to do, "I'm not hungry."

"Sure, you are," Provenza nodded. "Knowing you, you didn't eat dinner, not after your little chat with Flynn at work. You were up all night, so you haven't slept. You just expounded more energy in your hour rant than most people do when they exercise each day. You've got a lot on your plate, emotionally and mentally. We are going to walk over there, and you are going to eat. I don't care what you eat, but you'll eat, and for the first, and probably only time you'll ever hear this, lunch is on me. You know I don't throw that around, so you'd better take me up on that." He nodded to her and waited for her answer.

"Okay," she said quietly, and she opened the car door to step out. Provenza did the same, knowing he needed to call Mike and give him at least a warning of things to come. The two walked in silence, both nodding to several officers they passed. Luckily, it was still early, so lunch was a loose term. They arrived at the diner another 10 minutes later, and Provenza was happy to find the place mostly empty.

The two took a booth near the back, and after they ordered, soup and a half sandwich for Sharon with a cup of tea, and a burger and fries for Provenza with a cup of coffee, Sharon excused herself to the bathroom.

"I think I'm going to freshen up, wash my face, and start over," she nodded to him. Provenza gave her a quick nod, and when he watched her disappear into the bathroom, he took out his phone to call Mike.

"Mike," he said quietly as he looked around the place.

"What's the story? Andy drinking? You gave me that look when you left, like something was wrong," Mike asked.

"Something is definitely wrong," Provenza huffed, "but, he's not drinking. Captain and I found him at his house with a 20-something."

"Whoa, wait, Andy?" Mike asked. "What happened?"

"The dating game gone wrong, that's what happened," Provenza huffed again as he looked back to see if Sharon was coming. The bathroom was still closed, so he tried to finish the conversation. "Needless to say, the captain is a mess. We're across the street at the deli. I've listened to her scream and yell for the last hour. Buckle up, my friend. Work is going to get bumpy."

"Roger that," Mike told him. "I'll get the rest of the story later, I'm sure."

"Oh, don't think I'm keeping this all to myself. You're a lieutenant; you can be let in on the circle of trust we seem to have going here. We're going to have to keep the two of them from an all-out sparring match by the looks of it," Provenza explained.

"Hmm, not the day I was expecting. Okay, well, things are quiet here. Amy is in court, as we knew, but Julio, Buzz, and I are just doing paperwork. Buzz is trying to order some new equipment."

Provenza nodded, "Fine, I don't need the details, but we'll be back up when she calms down, or at least when I can shovel some food into her. Gotta go," he said quickly when he noticed the bathroom door opening.

Sharon arrived at the same time the waitress did with their coffee and tea. The two each gave a small smile to the waitress before she walked away. Sharon started to stir her tea, her mind wandering. She snapped back when she heard Provenza's phone go off with a text.

He glanced at it and scowled. "Andy?" she asked.

"No comment," he huffed. Sharon nodded to him to deal with the text, and Provenza rolled his eyes, but he opened the messages on his phone.

"Hey, things are quiet here again. I took yet another shower…can't seem to feel right. How bad? She okay? I'm sorry you had to deal with her crying on the ride back to work," Andy's text read.

Provenza frowned as he glanced to Sharon. He noted she was looking at him, and she just shook her head and closed her eyes.

"How do you think she is, you idiot? Not to worry; she didn't cry at all. She SCREAMED. Yes, she screamed the whole way. I've never heard so much vulgar language spew out of her mouth, and I've never heard it directed at you like it was today. Right now, she's calm. I took her out for food. Oh wait, that is what you were supposed to be doing, but the two of you somehow managed to mess up that too. She agreed to go eat with me. I think you probably need to burn your furniture. Go to a meeting. That's what you need to do right now," he told him.

The waitress delivered their food, and Provenza put away his phone. He didn't get any additional texts form Andy; he knew he wouldn't. He'd see Andy later, as would Sharon, and they would all continue to deal with the mess. For now, he had to get her to eat so they could suffer through the rest of their miserable day at work. The only thing that was his saving grace-Sharon had a meeting with Taylor after lunch. He'd never been so glad to have Taylor around as their boss as he was right now.


	5. Chapter 5

Sharon and Provenza returned to work over an hour later. Provenza wished he could joke with Sharon about how much she had eaten at lunch. Turns out that a "not hungry" Sharon was quite hungry. She had her soup and half a sandwich, and when she had finished that, she looked down to find a piece of pie had taken residence near her tea. She gave Provenza an odd look, and he shrugged his shoulders. Then, he started eating his own piece of pie. Sharon looked at hers, and before either of them knew it, they had both eaten the pie. Provenza knew it was more than likely the most Sharon had eaten in days.

Once they were back at work and in the elevator, Provenza looked to the text message on his phone. "Ahh, Captain, Taylor is ready for your meeting."

Sharon, who had been silent, just nodded, and when the doors opened to their floor, she tugged on her suit jacket, and Provenza knew she had snapped back into work mode. "Lieutenant, thank you for everything this morning. I will be in my meeting, and should you need me, just find me. Otherwise, I will be into the office when I am done."

"No problem, Captain. Mike said things have been quiet. We'll be fine," he nodded, and the two parted ways.

Provenza shrugged out of his suit coat before he walked back into the office. As he rounded the corner to his desk, he found Mike, Julio, and Buzz hunched over Julio's desk looking at something. They looked up when Provenza came around the corner. He met their gaze and shook his head.

"Sir, you can't be serious about Flynn," Julio looked to him. He then quickly looked to the door expecting to see the captain. "Ahh," he nodded to the door with a questionable gaze.

"Meeting with Taylor for the foreseeable future, and then we are going to all get out of here for the day, this miserable day. I have never been so glad she has a meeting with Taylor," he said as he hung up his coat on his chair. He sunk into his chair and closed his eyes.

"So, you and the captain found Andy with another woman?" Mike asked as he pulled up she chair. Provenza sighed and shook his head.

"I know I don't have to ask the three of you to keep this quiet, not that it will stay that way. Work is about to become a ticking time bomb, but yes. Apparently, Flynn finally asked her out on what she described a romantic date, and all this time, their dates haven't been that. She panicked and said no. She got in her own head too much all night, and like she does, she overthought all of it. She went over to fix it this morning, and he didn't answer. That, coupled with the message I got from Flynn saying he wasn't coming to work, we decided to see if he'd started drinking after the rejection. That wasn't the case; he had a 23-year old in his button-down shirt answer the door."

The men all groaned, and Buzz asked, "So, how bad is the captain? Whether she realizes it or not, she really likes the guy."

"Oh, that reality hit hard today," he nodded. "I think we can say they are both at rock bottom. She yelled the whole way back to the station. I haven't seen anything like it from her, ever. She's fed now, ate everything she ordered and more. I told Flynn to be at my place tonight, and I'm going to see if we can at least get some civility, so we can all get back to work. We can't have this be a problem here."

The men all nodded, and they continued to discuss the situation, all with the same thought, that work would be next to impossible with Sharon and Andy fighting. No one wanted to be at work the next day, but at the same time, no one wanted to miss it.

Provenza pulled into his driveway later that evening and sighed at the sight of Andy's car. He pulled himself out of his car and made his way up his porch steps. Patrice had been at the house all afternoon; she told him that she'd make dinner, but even Provenza wasn't sure how hungry he'd be after all this. The afternoon had gone smoothly, well as smoothly as it could considering the circumstances. Taylor, bless him, had run his mouth as usual, and the meeting had sucked up most of Sharon's afternoon. When she returned to the office, the team was ready to pounce on her, which they did. They all started shuffling things, indications they were ready to go, and Sharon nodded to the group.

 _"I know you have had a full day of paperwork. Go, enjoy your evening," she'd flashed them a small, yet forced smile. The guys had nodded to her; Amy had not returned from court, and after a glance to Provenza, they had all left. Provenza slowly made his way to her office, where she had disappeared as soon as she'd dismissed the team._

 _"Captain, Patrice is making dinner tonight," he told her._

 _"I'm not coming. I know you'd like for me to hash out things with Andy, but I can't do that right now. I need time," she explained. She looked to him and saw a frown on his face. "Look, I heard what you said earlier about separating personal and professional. I know I don't usually have a problem, yet this is an odd situation. I will put all my effort into making sure I keep my emotions out of Andy's professional job. I know that I have to do that, but I can't deal with my personal life tonight."_

 _He sighed, but nodded. "You know you are always welcome at my place for dinner, but," he held up a hand, and that got Sharon to look up when he paused before he continued, "if you ever tell anyone here that I have befriended you, that will be the end to our friendship."_

 _Sharon gave him a warm smile, her first smile of the day. She gave a single nod of the head to him, "Thank you. I appreciate it, but I can't tonight. I am going to go home, take a long bath, and I'm going to try to sleep. I know things will be worse here tomorrow with him if I don't get any rest."_

 _"You do that, and I'll deal with the idiot," he rolled his eyes._

Now that Provenza was at his front door, he paused before he opened it. He walked in to find Andy sitting at the kitchen table, a glass of water in his hand, as he talked to Patrice. The two turned toward him, and he instantly saw Andy's face was red, as if he'd been distraught.

"That had to be one of the worst days at the office I've had in a long time," he pointed to Andy. "I left here this morning thinking that it would be an okay day because Taylor would be in meetings most of the afternoon. I knew I wouldn't have to deal with him. That sounded like a good day. Then, you and your mess," he threw up his hands.

"Provenza, I'm sorry," Andy sighed.

"What were you thinking?" he exclaimed as he moved toward the table. He walked around it and pulled Patrice, who had stood, into an embrace. He kissed her, and then she squeezed his shoulder before she stepped away from the table and stepped out of the kitchen. Soon, he was just left alone with Andy. He pulled out the chair and sat where Patrice had been.

"I wasn't, obviously! I don't know! I almost don't remember it, and I know you think that's a line, but I was just numb last night. I barely remember bringing her home. She flirted; I flirted, but so much is almost a blur. It meant nothing. It wasn't anything I even enjoyed."

"Yet, she was still there this morning parading around in your shirt!" Provenza yelled.

"We didn't even get back to the house until after 3:00. I know I was exhausted too, but it was even later than that when I finally fell asleep, after well," he gestured, "you know."

"You slept with her?" Provenza filled in the blank.

"Yeah," Andy dropped his head. "I don't know why I did that. I have only wanted to be like that, you know, with Sharon for so long. I guess when she said no, I just wanted to fight back somehow. It ended up hurting me as much as her. So, this morning, when you and Sharon came to the house, I'd finally just pulled myself out of bed, and of course, I found her still in it. I was trying to get her out of my house, and now I don't even want to be in my house because I can't stop thinking of the huge mistake I made. Worst thing I've done in years, maybe ever," he said as he threw his hands in the air. "For once, I understand what I want, or what I've wanted. I'm sober, and I have had my life on track. I've had the company of a sophisticated, smart, sexy woman for the better part of a couple years now, and I just threw all that away. I feel numb; it hurts."

"Oh, no," Provenza shook his finger at Andy. "It hurt her way more than you. She panicked and gave a bad answer last night. She made that mistake, but she tried to fix it this morning, and yes, while that hurt you, it wasn't something that couldn't be fixed by talking. You know how she is. She panics. Could she have done a better job? Absolutely. She should have picked up the phone and called you, you idiot. You, you did even dumber things that have irreversible effects. You broke that trust with her and with a worthless night. I assume it's been years, but really? You had to go and find some young thing last night?"

"I know! Yes, it's been years! I've been so in love with Sharon for so long. I haven't even batted an eye at anyone else. I just wanted the sadness to go away. I know I ruined everything. Where is Sharon?" He finally asked as he looked around. "I thought you were bringing her here."

"She went home. She doesn't want to deal with you," Provenza told him. Andy sighed and dropped his head.

"I guess I should put in for a transfer," he said quietly.

"She's the bigger person than you are. She told me she's going to do everything she can to separate her personal disgust with you from your professional lives. You'd better be on your best behavior there because that woman is giving you more of a chance than you deserve."

Andy just nodded, "Does the team know?"'

"Everyone but Sykes, but only because she was in court. Flynn, you brought this into work, and the team has a right to know why the captain is shooting daggers at you from this point forward. I don't know how you will ever get her to speak to you again, but unless you want to retire, I'd suggest you buckle down and do your job."

"I need to talk to Sharon; that's what I need to do," he looked up to Provenza with sadness in his eyes.

"Where was that idea last night? Maybe you should have done that instead of taking home that girl," Provenza scolded him.

Andy stood, and Provenza looked up at him. "What are you doing?"

"I need to get out of here. I've been to two meetings today, and I'm doing everything I can now to fix this."

"You can't fix sleeping with someone and having your almost girlfriend of the past couple years walk in on it," Provenza pointed out to him.

"I appreciate what you have done, and I know I created this mess. I'm going to fix it; I just don't know how yet," he said as he gathered up his keys.

"At least stay to eat. You are no good if you pass out or something. I told her the same thing, and at least I got her to eat," he said.

Andy looked up at that, "Good. I'm glad she ate. She tends to stop eating when she's worried."

"Tends? She does stop eating, but yes, she ate. Just make sure you are at work on time tomorrow; better yet, try to be early. Last thing you need is a lecture for tardiness."

Andy left Provenza's house, and while he knew it was a bad idea, he turned his car toward Sharon's condo. Because Sharon lived near Provenza, the drive only took him 15 minutes. He parked outside in the visitor lot and made his way to the building, not sure of exactly what he was going to say. He needed to talk to her; that much he knew.

"Sir," he was stopped as he entered the building by the front desk security. He looked over to the man.

"Evening," he nodded. "My ahhh, my boss, who is also a close friend, lives upstairs."

"Yes," he nodded. "Lieutenant Flynn, correct, LAPD? I've seen you here before, often with Mrs. Raydor."

"Yeah," Andy looked surprised as he nodded to the man.

"I've been asked to have you leave the building. Mrs. Raydor asked that if you stopped by here tonight you not be allowed upstairs. Lieutenant, you'll need to leave."


	6. Chapter 6

Sharon looked up from her desk and gave a silent thanks that Provenza, true to his nature, was the first at work. For once, Sharon had arrived even before Provenza, but to be fair, she'd arrived at 3:30 AM to do so. She checked her watch; it was 5:30, still very early, and yet, she wasn't surprised to see Provenza there that early. Before she made eye contact with him, she looked back down to her paperwork and tried to focus. It was going to be a long day.

Provenza knocked lightly on her door and entered before Sharon could even say anything. She put her pen down and tilted her head as she looked up to him. "Lieutenant," she gave a small nod, trying to convey kindness to him at least this morning.

"Captain," he nodded to her as he walked to her desk and stood there with his hands clasped in front of him. "We all have heard the early bird gets the worm, but just how early did you arrive?"

Sharon hummed as she looked down at her paperwork and then up to him, "3:30. I couldn't sleep, and I was a little stir crazy at home. Everywhere I looked, I guess my mind started to wander to happier times. I decided I would be smart to knock out some of this paperwork since I was unable to address most of it yesterday. The better question might be concerning you, and your normal arrival time. Do you always get here this early?"

"No," he looked to his shoes and chuckled, "but something told me today I'd best get here before we had any problems. No telling what might happen here when a certain idiot arrives."

Sharon gave him a simple nod, "As I said, I will be able to handle my professional life. As for my personal one," she pursued her lips and gave a sign of a slight smirk, "my personal life remained quiet last night. I got a good deal of sleep. Rusty seemed to be needed in a late night study group," she looked over her glasses and glared at Provenza. She knew he had something to do with Rusty's long absence the night before.

Provenza raised his hand, "Captain, I merely suggested to Rusty that he might allow you some peace and quiet. He doesn't know what happened, and just so you know, he's having dinner with Patrice and me tonight. You deserve some alone time."

She nodded again, this time a look of thanks, "I do appreciate that. It's not necessary, but thank you. My night was much more restful than I anticipated, also void of any said idiot," she bit her lip and looked to her paperwork.

"You banned him from your building?"he tried to hide his amusement as he asked her the question, or really pointed it out as he was well aware of it. Andy had called him, completely dumbfounded from the parking lot. Provenza had thought about leading with it when he had arrived, but he didn't want to upset her again, so he had decided to gauge her mood first.

"Perhaps, it was suggested to my building security that he not drop by my residence last night," she stated as she shuffled a pile of paperwork.

"That was a move I didn't see coming," he chuckled as he shook his head. "That," he gestured his finger at her, "sneaky, and effective. Totally ticked him off. I got an earful, but I suggested he find another meeting, and I think that's what he did instead."

"Hmm, good," she looked away and slightly smiled, "I mean, that he was irritated, but I'm also glad to hear he went in search of a meeting."

"Can I get you anything? I haven't had my breakfast yet. Patrice makes these slime shakes," he made a disgusted face, "whatever they are called, but they look like slime. I eat here so I can eat in peace. I love that woman, but after as many marriages as I've had, I've learned to pick my battles."

"I've been through my share of battles, Sharon closed up one file and reached for the next, and she continued, "and, it sounds like you have chosen wisely. Sometimes I wonder if some people are just meant to always have a battle, to never just have peace."

"You'll find your peace, Captain," he nodded to her and stepped toward the door. "We're going to make sure this day is a peaceful one, that's for sure."

Sharon got lost in her paperwork after that, and at her next glance, the office was starting to come alive for the day. A glance to her watch told her it was just after 7:00, still early, but now what would be "normal" hours for the team. She started to look back to her paperwork, but movement caught her eye. A quick glance told her Andy was walking into the office alongside Amy. The two were chatting, and she stepped off to her desk, while he continued. Sharon looked down at her paperwork again, but with just enough angle to still see Andy. She didn't think he could see that she was watching him. He stopped quickly just after Amy stepped away; obviously, he'd caught sight of her already at work, and it had surprised him. He glanced toward her, and then he glanced to the ground. He walked the rest of the way to his desk, right by her windows. He continued to glance toward her, but she refused to make eye contact. Someone called to him because he turned toward the team. Julio and Buzz had not arrived, but the rest were there. She looked down to her paperwork again, and she sighed. Learning how to co-exist was more stressful than she wanted.

At promptly 8:00, she stood from her desk. She refused to look toward Andy, but she could feel his eyes on her. She was ready for a cup of tea; she'd made one at home and sipped on it throughout the early hours of the morning, but now, she was ready for a second cup. She exited her office and looked to Provenza.

"Lieutenant, I am going to make a cup of tea. When I return, I need to update you and Lieutenant Flynn after my meeting yesterday," she explained. The eyes in the office all moved from Sharon to Andy, and then they moved back to Sharon. This was Sharon being professional; she would do what was necessary to get through the day. Provenza nodded to her, and she turned and walked down the hall. She focused on keeping her composure as she waited for her tea. Sharon took several deep breaths and when she was ready, she took her mug and started back to her office. She focused on her door, and as she walked by the desks, she caught sight of Provenza. He stood when she walked by, and she knew he was following her. She suspected Andy was too, and yet she couldn't turn her eyes to him.

Once Sharon was back in the safety of her office, she took her seat and situated her tea. When she looked up, she found herself face to face with both Provenza and Andy, this the first time she had seen Andy since he'd stood in the doorway of his home. Her mind flashed back to that image, the scene of him standing there with that girl. He was silent, and he looked sad. She refused to make eye contact with him, but he sat there, his leg crossed, and his arms folded in his lap. Provenza's eyes continued to dart back and forth from Sharon to Andy.

"I'd like to go over some points from the meeting," she said as she pulled out her notes. "Let's go through this, and we can get back to work."

It took almost an hour to go through the points from the meeting, not because there were any issues, but Sharon asked for some feedback, mostly from Provenza. She didn't stop Andy from talking; he was a smart detective and had good ideas, but anyone glancing in on their conversation would think it was the most professional group around the LAPD. There was no warmth to their meeting. They finished, and Sharon closed the file and looked to her computer.

"That should be all for now, Lieutenant Provenza and Lieutenant Flynn," she gave a nod toward the door, and Provenza followed her lead.

"Captain, we'll get back to work. I'll go through some of this with the team," Provenza nodded to his notes as he stood. Andy stood too, and he looked to Provenza. Provenza gave him a small shake of the head, but Andy turned to Sharon.

"Sharon, I just want to apologize," Andy said. "I wanted to tell you that last night, but," he was cut off by Provenza.

"Flynn, get back to work," Provenza stopped him and nodded to the door. Andy looked to Sharon who was focused on her computer.

"That will be all, gentlemen," she stated, and that was the end of the meeting.

Once the two men were out of her office, Provenza closed the door and grabbed Flynn by the arm and pulled him toward his desk.

"What is wrong with you? We just got through that meeting unscathed, and you decided to get personal again!" He exclaimed.

The team all watched. All eyes had been on the meeting, and the team had even taken bets on a shouting match happening. Now that the meeting was over, they were curious to learn what had happened.

"I was trying to apologize to her!" Andy exclaimed. The team hadn't said much to him since he'd arrived. Amy had been caught up to speed during the meeting, and now she just shook her head at him.

"Lieutenant, maybe you should give her some space," she said.

"Space! All I've given her for years is space. I thought we were ready to move closer, and she said no. I get it that I messed up, more than messed up. I might have ruined everything, but I can at least apologize to her," Andy said, now exasperated.

"Not today, not here. That went well, if that is possible considering everything. I don't know how she does it, but that was as professional as you could ever be. You should be glad she isn't asking for you to transfer. Let her be! She's being professional. Try it!"

"Hey," he pointed a finger at Provenza, "I wouldn't have to do this here if I'd been able to talk to her last night. Banning me from her building," he grumbled.

"Wait, the captain banned you from her building?" Amy asked, a hint of a smile hidden as she spoke.

"Yeah, she did. I just wanted to talk to her," he explained.

"Sir, are you now on some list? Did she get a restraining order?" Julio grinned. "Oh, that's good; the captain banned you," he chuckled.

"Hey! I just wanted to talk, to apologize," he sighed.

"Flynn, go, sit, and work," Provenza pointed to his desk. "Stay away from the captain. I know that's hard, and you've never listened to me in the past when I've said that. Now, I'm telling you, stay away. Don't make us pick sides because I think you'll find we all agree with the captain that you are a complete idiot."


	7. Chapter 7

By 5:30, Sharon was ready to crawl home. At some point, in the wee hours of the morning, coming in early had sounded like a good idea. She was regretting that now, wanting to crawl home and into her bed. Of course, she was used to coming into work at all hours of the day and night, but this time was different. She as an emotional mess and just needed to go home. She also couldn't remember the last time she had put so much energy into being so professional. That had taken a toll on her, and she needed to go. She'd sent the team home just after 5:00, grateful for another paperwork day. Days like that were few and far between, and she felt she deserved a pat on the back for getting through the day with Andy.

Sharon collected her things and closed her office. The room was mostly empty, the team having left together earlier. Often on days like this, she knew the team would go for a drink, but she suspected the tension with the current situation had gotten in the way of any team time at the local watering hole. Sharon was glad to find the elevator mostly empty. It only stopped once on the way to the garage, and two officers, who were already in the middle of a conversation got on and barely gave her more than a polite nod. It was fine with Sharon.

What was not fine was the figure waiting for her at her car. Sharon dropped her shoulders and sighed, her purse sliding off her shoulder as she looked to him, standing against the back of her car. He was looking down at the ground, his legs crossed, and he hadn't noticed her yet. She had thoughts about running back to her office, but she knew, somehow, he'd still be there no matter what time she returned. It was time to get the initial confrontation out of the way.

"Andy, what do you want?" Sharon sighed as she walked up to him. By now, she knew he'd seen her coming; he'd probably heard her coming, her heels echoing in the garage. He glanced up, as he seemed almost fixated on something on the ground. She knew he wasn't; he was more likely fixated on her and trying to not show it.

"I wanted to apologize," Andy sighed as he looked up and finally met her gaze. She tilted her head and pursed her lips as if she wanted to say something, but at the last minute, she closed it and remained silent. "Honestly," he sighed as he offered her a small smile, "there's a lot more I want to say, but I'm trying to respect that you don't want to listen right now. So, I just want to apologize."

"I see," Sharon nodded. Once she made eye contact with him, she quickly looked away and started to fiddle with her purse strap. "I'm not sure what to say. That apology doesn't just erase everything, all the damage and certainly not the visual image I can't erase from my mind."

"I know," he nodded. "Here," he held out his hand. She glanced to it and saw an envelope with what she suspected had a letter in it. "There's more in the letter," he told her. "Read it, don't read it," he shrugged. She reached for it and nodded without saying anything. Andy reached in his suit jacket and pulled out another envelope. "Here," he gestured to her again, and she looked to him with a questioning gaze. "This is another copy of the letter so when you tear up the first one, you have this one. Look, I know Jack always left a letter. I'm not trying to dig up bad memories, but I'm not Jack. I'm not leaving. I'm also not leaving our division, not unless you request for me to do so. If that happens, I'll respect your decision." Sharon's shaky hand took the second letter; it was hard to accept it. Andy had hit a nerve; Jack had always left letters, and he knew she'd torn up the last one he'd ever left her. Andy pushed off Sharon's car, and he looked to her, as she stood there, now with both letters in her hand.

"The letters aren't to dig up bad memories from Jack, but you know I usually mess up anything I try to say, so I decided to write it down. Be safe going home, Sharon," he sighed. He gave a single nod and started toward his car, parked only a few spaces away.

"You don't get to walk away thinking you've done your part," she said sternly as he left. She had tried to remain silent, but her rage started to pour out, and she knew she needed to regain control. Andy spun around when she started to speak. "How dare you! I know this started with me, but I came over to fix it. You didn't even last 12 hours, 12 hours Andy, without running to anyone else! How dare you!" Sharon brushed the tear off her face, and she looked away. She took a deep breath and without looking at Andy, she said, "I'm not going to continue to air our personal matters at work. Please keep work professional. I'm trying to do the same."

Andy stood and watched as she moved quickly to her car. Sharon fumbled with her keys, and she dropped both her keys and her bags. Andy sighed as he moved to help her. He grabbed her purse and briefcase as she continued to fumble for her keys. He stood and silently waited for her to stand up again. When she did, she yanked at her things, "Thank you, Lieutenant."

Andy just nodded and stepped back as she got into her car. He put his hands in his pockets and watched as she backed out, making no eye contact with him. Once her car was out of sight, he started for his own car.

Sharon heard the door later that night as she was trying to sleep. She got up, found her glasses, and she walked toward the door as she put on her robe. "You're getting in late," she offered a sad smile to Rusty as she put her arm into her robe and then pulled it closed with the cool night air making her cold.

"Oh, hey, Sharon," he gave her a similar sad smile as he closed and locked the door. Sharon watched as he hung up his jacket and picked up his bag. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"I wasn't asleep," she admitted. She shrugged, "Trying maybe, but I wasn't asleep yet. Are you hungry? I can sit with you if you want something to eat."

"Oh, no, I'm fine," he nodded to her as Sharon stepped to the side so Rusty could move toward the kitchen. She followed to listen. "I had dinner with Lieutenant Provenza and Patrice. I'm stuffed from that, still, but I am going to get something to drink."

"That's right," Sharon nodded. "He told me you were going to have dinner with him."

"Patrice likes to cook, mostly healthy stuff, but it was good. I'm used to the healthy stuff at least from eating with you and the lieutenant," he said as he moved around in the kitchen to get a glass of water.

Sharon tensed up at the mention of Andy. Rusty seemed to notice it, and he sat down at the table and looked to Sharon. "Sharon, why didn't you tell me what the lieutenant did?"

"Lieutenant Provenza told you!" Sharon exclaimed as she looked horrified at Rusty.

"No, but he was a good person to talk to about it all," Rusty frowned. "I wish you had told me. Nicole, she sent me a text today, asking how you were dealing with everything, and well," he shrugged and continued, "she told me."

"You text back and forth with Nicole?" Sharon asked, shocked at the admission.

"Well, yeah," Rusty shrugged as if it was no big deal. "We have been since that whole ballet thing last year. She's pretty cool, and it was a way to keep tabs on the two of you. You changed the subject," he nodded to her. "Sharon, I can't believe what the lieutenant did. I guess he called Nicole and told her. She's pretty mad at him."

Sharon pursed her lips and gave a single nod, "Rusty, I'm still trying to process everything myself. I played my own part in the mess, not that I'm letting Andy off the hook at all, but it's very complicated. What he did, though, is something that can't just be talked through or forgiven with a quick apology."

Rusty nodded as he listened. He looked up to her and gave her another sad smile, "Sharon, I am really sorry. I hate to see you so upset. I like the lieutenant, but I told him, well, a lot," he frowned, "but, I told him that I wasn't sure I could ever trust him for hurting you so badly."

"You spoke with him?" Sharon's eyes grew larger as she listened to Rusty. "When? What?"she stammered.

He shrugged, "I met Nicole there after I had dinner with Lieutenant Provenza. I even told him I was going to the lieutenant's house. He said the guy needed to hear from everyone just how much he'd messed up. Nicole wanted to check on him, to make sure he wasn't drinking. I told her I wanted to tell him off myself."

"Rusty," Sharon sighed as she shook her head. "This isn't your problem. I can handle things myself."

"Yeah, well, that isn't going so well, is it? Sharon, I care about you, and I care if someone hurts you. He, he like, broke your trust. I saw guys cheat on my mom all the time. Sadly, I saw my mom cheat on guys too. It's not just a small thing. He needed to know that, to know that when he hurt you, he hurt me too. I've always liked him," Rusty explained.

"Rusty, please stay out of it. I can handle things on my own; I have for a very long time. My relationship, or lack of one, with Andy is my business. I know you care about him, both Andy and Lieutenant Provenza. Repair that relationship; Andy didn't do anything to you. He likes you very much. My problem with him is very complicated, and meddling children are not going to help. Don't ruin the relationship you have with Andy."

Rusty just shrugged, "I like you more."

"I think I'm going to go back to bed," Sharon gave him a watery smile. She stood before she started to cry. "Don't stay up too late."

"I love you, Sharon," Rusty stood and reached for her to give her a hug. Sharon pulled him in and hugged him back. Rusty was worried; he normally didn't initiate any affection. She patted his arm, and then she walked back to her room, passing the letters she'd tucked away, unopened, in her desk.


	8. Chapter 8

The next week passed quickly, but only because the team caught two cases back to back. One dealt with a victim the team had tagged as a "bag of bones," a victim they found no one seemed to like. Sharon kept work very professional, changing back to calling Andy by lieutenant all the time. The team took note, but no one dared to say anything. The two were working, and they were getting along, at least on a professional level, so it was left alone. Provenza noted the name change as well, but he was also a bit preoccupied with Patrice moving into his house. Sharon had noted his relationship seemed to be somewhat normal with Andy. Sharon would never ask him to pick sides; she knew there were two sides to every story, even hers with Andy. She'd as much told Rusty the same thing. None of this was one-sided; she knew that, even if she felt what Andy had done was almost unforgivable. She also knew Provenza was fiercely loyal, even if he tried to hide that quality trait. Provenza was doing his best to juggle things with Sharon and Andy, and she knew he was doing a decent job of it.

Once the team wrapped up the first case, they ended up only having 24 hours before they were hit hard with a second case. During that time without a case, Sharon finally agreed to have dinner with Andrea who had been pestering her for a few days. Sharon gathered word had traveled to her friend, and this was her way of reaching out.

The team was just about done filing their paperwork on their bone case, and Sharon glanced up to see Andrea walking to her office. She gave her a warm smile, and then she glanced out to most of the team, most because she refused to look toward Andy's desk. As Andrea walked closer to the door, Sharon gestured for her to enter.

"So, finally, we have time to get dinner. I'm starving," Andrea smiled at Sharon as she put her briefcase on the table and sat down in the adjacent chair. "We are still going to dinner, aren't we?"

"Yes," Sharon nodded in her direction. "I'm just finishing up. The team is finishing up," she gestured to the room. Andrea followed her gesture, and her eyes moved toward a particular lieutenant whose desk was close to the office.

"I see he's still alive,"she gave a nod.

"We can be professional," Sharon said sharply. Andrea raised her eyebrows at Sharon.

"I think, no, I know you are a better person than I am. I would have, well, let's just say that I might have done something that would have landed me in here, just as the suspect," Andrea nodded.

Sharon sighed and put down her pen, "It's more complicated than that. I know everyone wants to just pretend this is black and white, but Andrea, I did my part in this too. What he did is awful, but I was wrong too."

Andrea raised her eyebrows at Sharon, "So, you've discussed this with him?"

"What? No!" Sharon exclaimed. "I tried to fix this, and that uncovered what Andy did. Since then, I've barely spoken to him aside from giving orders for the case. I am not ready to deal with Andy Flynn. At work, I can be professional. He's one of my lieutenants, but that is all. What we had, or I should say, what we could have had, it's not happening. Too much damage has been done on both our parts."

Andrea listened as she nodded, "So, if I told you I had a colleague in mind for you, a nice, charming man, you might consider letting me set you up with him?"

Sharon's face grew flushed as she looked down at her desk, and then she looked again out toward the majority of the team. This time, as she turned her attention back to Andrea, she give a quick glance to Andy. She then looked back at Andrea, "I'm not sure I'm ready for anything."

"You won't know unless you go out with the guy. What do you have to lose? He's a nice guy, a lawyer, and yes," she raised her hands in defense, "I know you don't have a good track record with lawyers. This guy, he's a nice guy."

Sharon raised her eyebrows, "If he's such a catch, why aren't you pursuing him?"

"Mix work with pleasure," she frowned and shook her head. "No, that's just not a smart move." She looked up to Sharon's sad face and quickly recovered, "I'm sorry; that was insensitive. I didn't mean anything by that, but I just don't date anyone in the office. If I did, he would be a top candidate. Come on-one date," she encouraged her.

Sharon bit her lip and shrugged, "I haven't been out with anyone," she sighed as her mind drifted.

"I won't get into details, but I'll let him know this is a big deal for you. Please, let a friend help," she offered.

Sharon stood, "I suppose you can tell me about him at dinner. Let's go. The team reports will be on my desk in the morning. Tonight, I need to think about my future and not obsess about my past."

Sharon's dinner with Andrea was the stress relief she needed on one hand, but on the other, she was now worried about a pending date with this Eric guy from Andrea's office. Andrea was going to work out the details and put the two in touch with each other. Her evening was short, as she was awakened just after midnight with another case, this one, tough from the start, as she learned that two officers had been gunned down. She barely took any time getting ready, knowing that a case such as this would require the team to put aside any personal feelings as they dealt with the deaths of fellow officers.

Sharon arrived at the solemn scene less than an hour later. Chief Taylor, himself, had called to tell her Major Crimes would be given the case and to reiterate the importance of the matter. Sharon had listened, and as much as she wanted to tell him off for the call, as if reminding her of the sensitivity and importance of any case, she listened and told him she would be right there. She found her team all standing quietly awaiting her arrival and was surprised to find the bodies had yet to be removed from the scene. As she was guided onto the scene, she sensed the team had fallen in behind her, and she was keenly aware Andy was right behind her.

The next few minutes were hard for everyone at the scene. The team stood quietly as the fallen officers were given their proper send-off. Sharon felt odd with Andy standing near her. On one hand, she wanted to tell him off, to move as far away from him as possible, but on the other hand, she was glad he, of all people, was the man standing beside her. It offered her an odd level of comfort. As the team dispersed to start working the case, Sharon struggled with her emotions. She tried putting herself in the shoes of both the fallen officers and their families. She thought of the family members who would be on the receiving end of the dreaded news, the news of a deceased love one. Sharon struggled with that; she fought back the tears. She hated the idea of her own children ever getting that news, and until recently, even Jack would have been told if the worst would have happened to her. She hated that idea, that her children could ever get news like that, but yet, as a police officer, it was always a reality she understood. She knew with all the emotions of the current situation, both the case and her personal life, that this was jut hitting her hard. She thought of what her own mortality would do to the team; it wouldn't be easy, and as mad as she was with Andy, she knew he wouldn't do well ever with news like that. Maybe, she told herself, that was one reason he'd stuck almost by her side through the whole crime scene.

Sharon also thought of dealing with fallen officers as she was now, as the commanding officer. She thought about the heartache of losing one of her own, and as she thought of that, her mind wandered to Andy. She hated the idea of anything happening to any of her own officers, and she almost let her emotions get the best of her with that thought. Somehow, her mind kept drifting to Andy, to his smile, and then to Nicole. Sharon thought of having to tell Nicole awful news like other children of the fallen were going to hear today. Maybe it was due to the fact she knew Andy so well, but the thought made her sick.

Nonetheless, she had a case to solve. She also had emotions to keep in check, maybe even more than normal. She was tired, and she was saddened by all the circumstances. Knowing all that, Sharon tried to push emotions aside. Professional. She needed to remain professional. She'd solve the case, and somewhere in all that, she'd answer the message she had from Eric, Andrea's friend about getting dinner, a date, she rolled her eyes as she clarified it in her mind. One lesson she had learned was that she couldn't keep relationships of any kind, on hold indefinitely.


	9. Chapter 9

Their case took them through the weekend, both to solve and wrap up loose ends. After a day off Monday, courtesy of Taylor, the team found themselves back at work on Tuesday. It was a bit of a somber day; funerals were held for the fallen officers, both small and private, but the somber mood carried throughout the building. Sharon was even more of a mess, the sadness of the fallen still hitting home with her coupled with the fact that she'd agreed to a date with Eric tonight. When she'd finally spoken to him, he'd suggested the weekend, but she'd put him off with the case. His court schedule was tight, as well, so somehow, they'd come up with a casual date to a local Italian bistro after work on Tuesday. It wasn't exactly a 'sweep you off your feet' type of romantic date, but both were highly successful professionals with demanding jobs, and they'd agreed this would be a great icebreaker when otherwise, their schedules might not align for weeks.

She found it hard to focus during the day, her thoughts drifting to her evening. She hadn't been on a date in a long time, and she was a little uneasy thinking about what they might discuss. Work topics would be safe; he was a prosecutor, and she obviously understood that. She also didn't know much about him, only that he hadn't been married before; he'd always been glued to his work, but he'd mentioned to her on the phone, that he was seeing that he needed more balance in his life. That was something Sharon did understand.

The afternoon seemed to speed by with paperwork, and Sharon found herself continually glancing at her watch. She and Eric had decided on an early dinner; he had court Wednesday morning, and he'd told her he needed to prepare. That was fine with Sharon, as she knew any first date was bound to be awkward, and any expectations would be lower if both had tight work schedules. Sharon about fell out of her chair when she glanced up and saw the man of her thoughts walking into the room. She and Eric had agreed to meet at the restaurant, a short walk away for both of them. His arrival, early too, caused Sharon to panic.

She jumped up from her chair and started to her door. She knew what Eric looked like because she'd seen him in the building before and confirmed what she thought with social media. She dare say she'd stalked the man, but she had looked him up over the weekend. Sharon wasn't huge on social media either, mainly because of her job, but she did like to keep tabs on the kids. Emily often posted a lot of dancing videos, and it was a way for Sharon to follow her only daughter's dancing career.

She opened her door and heard Provenza greeting Eric. No one but Andrea knew of her date, not even Rusty. Sharon had decided it was no one's business but her own, and there was no reason to discuss her personal life unless something came out of the date.

"Mr. Nelson, we don't normally see you up here on this floor," Provenza, in his professional tone, greeted him. Sharon knew he was actually being polite; Eric, as far as she knew it, had never been in their office area.

"Lieutenant Provenza," he nodded to him, as Sharon interrupted. Eric had mentioned during their brief conversation he'd worked cases with Provenza years and years ago.

"Ahh, Mr. Nelson," Sharon called over to him from the doorway of her office. She had her hands clasped in front of her, and he turned her way when he heard her speak. "If you'd like to step into my office," she gestured to him, hoping he would keep the air of professionalism she'd just used with him. He glanced around the room to find several sets of eyes staring back at him, and he nodded to Sharon. He had his briefcase in one hand and used it to gesture to her before he started walking. Sharon caught Provenza's eye, almost looking for some sort of explanation, but Sharon was careful to not give anything away. As she turned to her office, she turned around in the direction of Andy and found he was staring at her; if she had to guess, he hadn't taken his eyes off her since Eric Nelson had entered the office.

Sharon walked in, and Eric followed. She held the door as he entered and closed it when he'd entered. Sharon gave him a nervous smile and gestured to the chairs. She walked around behind her desk, silently cursing herself for not taking a few minutes to update her hair and lipstick before he arrived. She gave him a nervous smile as she smoothed out her suit. That was another thing, she'd worn a black suit with her gray silk blouse, not exactly a 'sexy' look, but again, this was to be an after work date.

She cleared her throat, "Well, Eric, this is a surprise. It's nice to finally see you in person," she said, her voice still a bit shaky.

"I'm sorry if I have thrown you off," he said as he started to sit when Sharon gestured for him to do so, and she sat down as well. "I was two floors down, and I got done early. I'm not going to head back to the office, so I decided to take a chance and see if I could escort you to dinner from here at work."

"Oh, I see," she offered a sweet smile as she fumbled with the pen on her desk. "That would be fine, just lovely," she said as she let out a deep breath she didn't' realize she had been holding. "You know, I can just freshen up when we get there, if you don't mind," she suggested. The last thing she wanted to do was leave him alone anywhere in the vicinity of Major Crimes. She needed to get out of the building, with him, as quickly as she could.

"I realize I've caught you off guard," he started to stand. "I didn't mean to do that. I was just hopeful you weren't too busy; I'm nervous, yet excited too at the idea of getting to know you. Word around the building is you are a feared captain who works tirelessly to get justice."

"Hmm, well, that's an improvement," she said with a nervous laugh. "No, I don't want to give you the wrong impression. I'm glad you stopped by the office, and I'm not too busy. In fact, I missed lunch, so I am ready to eat."

"Great," he smiled widely at her. "So?"

"I'm ready to go. My lieutenants can handle the close of the day here," she said as she grabbed her purse. "Shall we?" She stood. Eric stood too, and he nodded to her with his briefcase.

"I'll follow you," he nodded. Sharon gave him a slight smile, and she opened her door with Eric behind her. As she left, she ignored all eyes in the room and focused on Provenza.

"Lieutenant, I will be heading out right now," she explained. She turned and closed her door to lock it as she continued to talk. Eric stood nearby with his briefcase in hand. Sharon locked the door, adjusted her purse and moved her own briefcase before she finished speaking to him. "As always, if you need anything-" she started to say before he nodded and cut her off.

"I'll call you," he nodded back.

"Thank you," she nodded in reply and turned to Eric. "Mr. Nelson, shall we walk out?" Sharon asked, hoping that the team only wondered what the two could be discussing and not wondering if there was anything more than two professional meeting. Thankfully, Eric was discreet and just nodded as he followed her. Sharon knew a set of eyes had to be staring as she walked away, and truthfully, that was one reason she had wanted to meet at the restaurant. She hadn't wanted to involve Andy, to upset Andy. Certainly, she knew how that felt, to see Andy even standing next to the young girl, not to mention anything more than that. As frustrated with him as she was, she didn't intend to hurt him. She wasn't interested in playing the jealously game.

The two were quiet in the elevator, both stealing glances at the other. Still, it was a workplace, a place where not one, but both worked, even if Eric was only in and out of the building a lot. It wasn't until they were out on the street, he turned to her.

"Are you sure you don't mind walking? It's almost two blocks, and I'd hate for you to ruin those killer heels," he gestured to her feet.

Sharon grinned, "I'm fine walking in these. I've walked further for food around here. It's early, and it's a nice afternoon, not too warm, so yes, I'm fine."

"May I?" He gestured to her briefcase, and she nodded as he took it to carry it for her. That left her hands free, which was almost more nerve wracking; she pushed her hands into her pockets as they walked.

"Looks like you have quite a team there," he started the conversation. "That's an experience bunch. I recognized several faces from working different departments around the building over the years."

"Yes, I have a very good team. We had our moments early on, but we've been together for years now, and I'm grateful for all of them. Each adds a special element to our investigations," she explained. The next few minutes as they walked, they mostly discussed work. Sharon asked him about his current case, and he explained further for his early arrival for their date. He had been prepping witnesses, other detectives, downstairs, and he was a bit nervous for his case to begin. They arrived at the bistro, and he held the door for her.

"I didn't make a reservation. I knew even with our original plan, we most likely wouldn't need one for the early hour," he explained. She nodded and entered the restaurant. It only took a few moments to be seated, and Sharon started to relax in the comfortable setting. She had been here before, not recently, but years before, she used to stop in for carry out when the kids were at home. Ricky, especially, loved Italian food, and this had always been one of his favorite places.

"Would you care for any wine? I love a glass to unwind each day," he smiled at her. She was a bit taken by surprise; she couldn't' remember the last time a man joined her in a glass of wine at dinner.

"I would," she smiled warmly. "I enjoy a glass in the evening just as you do." The waiter arrived, and the two ordered wine. As they studied the menu and shared their thoughts about food, Sharon noted he had a lot of similar tastes in food.

"This lobster ravioli looks delicious," he said a few moments later. Sharon hummed as she read the description.

"Yes, I don't think I've had that here before. I do enjoy fish and seafood. That does sound like a nice dish. I'm still thinking about getting the baked ziti."

"Ahh, yes, that looks good too," he agreed. Once again, the waiter appeared, and the two ordered, Sharon getting the ziti with Eric getting the ravioli. After they had ordered, he turned toward her. They were at a small square table, and he was sitting adjacent to her.

"Andrea has told me a little about you, and then, we talked more on the phone the other night, but tell me," he paused, "do you date a lot?"

"No," she said almost instantly. She gave him a small smile, "I only divorced last year after a two-decade long separation. Dating," she took a sip of water as she let out of nervous laugh, "hasn't been on my radar."

He nodded, "You mentioned your youngest is still at home, so I guess just a lot of teen restaurant picks lately," he chuckled.

"Oh, well," Sharon sat back, a bit surprised as she pursed her lips. "No, not all. My youngest would live in a burger dive if I allowed it, but no, I've managed to enjoy fine dining, culture, activities," she said. She thought about her statement as she said it. For the first time in a long time, or maybe even ever, she found herself thinking about all her outings with Andy. What were they, anyway? She found it awkward to describe to Eric. An outsider would see their time together as dates, but was that what it was?

"Oh," he raised a hand in defense, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply you haven't been," he paused and frowned. "I'm sorry. I am a little nervous."

Sharon gave him a worried smile, not worried about anything he had said, but suddenly, she felt this incredible dread roll over her. She couldn't explain it; she just felt like she was in the middle of a huge mistake.

"I, ahh, well, I'm not sure if Andrea told you about my ex-husband," she sighed.

He just nodded, "I know of Jack. I was opposing counsel years ago, maybe over a decade ago now."

She hummed, "Yes, more than likely, that was during one of his short-term stints at home. Jack has been a thorn in my side for years, and the last few, I've had the support of a few friends, one very good friend, to help me process Jack." Eric nodded as he listened. Suddenly, without warning, Sharon teared up as she tried to look away. She wiped her one hand, and she waved her other hand away at Eric. "I'm sorry. I don't know what has come over me, but suddenly, this doesn't seem like a good idea."

"Sharon, in no way did I mean to upset you," he tried to reach for her hand, but Sharon was unaware of that as she waved it around and wiped another lone tear.

"It's not you, really," she sighed and then let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, I sound like a bad TV movie. It really isn't you. I let Andrea talk me into this, when I'm not ready; I'm not ready at all."

"I understand divorce can be hard," he offered a sympathetic smile. She turned to him, the sorrow now in her eyes.

"It's not that. Jack is not my issue. You won't believe this, or you'll believe I'm completely crazy, but I didn't realize until just now after all this time, I've really been dating one of my lieutenants."

"Oh," he pulled back from his comforting stance and sat back. "That, I did not see. Wait, Provenza?"

"No," she wiped away another tear and turned to face him, "not Provenza. I've made a series of bad choices, and until I deal with Andy Flynn, I cannot continue anything here. I'm sorry," she said and with that, she broke into a full sob. "I can't do this." She stood and fumbled with her purse. Her hand found her wallet, and she yanked on a few bills, which she put down on the table as she reached for her bag. "I'm no shape for this. I deeply apologize. You deserve better."

Eric watched, his actions trying to catch up with what he was hearing. As Sharon fumbled for her things, he jumped up too. "Sharon, hey, listen, let me walk you back to the parking garage. I can see you have a lot going on right now, and I'm only sad I hit a nerve to upset you."

Sharon paused and looked at him. He was a good man, a good man who deserved better right now than the emotional mess she currently had on her plate. "You didn't say anything wrong. My emotions and head finally collided, and while it's too late to fix my problems, I need to work through them before I can be happy. Thank you for this. I'm sorry again," she gave him a sad smile, and he touched her arm.

"Let me walk you out. I can't have a woman leave a date crying," he gave her a small smile and a slight shrug.


	10. Chapter 10

Eric was a nice man, a very nice man. Problem was he wasn't the man for Sharon. Oh, Andrea had picked a good one for her; Sharon knew that, and she appreciated the fact he walked her back to her car in the parking garage while she fought back the tears. Sharon didn't need anyone; she didn't need a man in her life, but until she was faced with one today, a stranger, who appeared interested in dating her, she didn't realize she wanted a man, one man, Andy. All that was a mess, though, as Andy had done something terribly wrong that she was having trouble grasping. She knew her words had been hurtful to him, even if she hadn't set out to do that, to hurt him. Andy was Andy; he didn't think, as had often been the case in his adult life. Sharon had case after case of his come across her desk where he often hadn't thought. Right now, Sharon wasn't sure it was enough, if it could ever be enough, but she knew she had to compose herself for Eric's sake as they reached the floor of the parking garage. The elevator doors opened, and he gestured for her to exit first. He fell in step alongside her as they walked to her car.

"I need to apologize again, Eric. You are a truly wonderful man, and I'm really just a mess," she let out a nervous laugh.

"Nah," he shrugged. "I'm glad I got to meet you properly, to spend some time with you. You're a great lady to know, and I hope a great colleague should we ever work a case," he nodded to her.

"Of course," she gave him a small smile. "I haven't dated in gosh, over 30 years, but what your date tonight made me realize is that I've spent the last two years dating Andy." Sharon had briefly told Eric the problem on their walk back from dinner, not that a problem this size could be quickly explained or even easily understood. She knew he wouldn't completely understand, but she felt she owed him at least that. "Dating Andy never looked like dating," she shrugged. "It started off as just helping a friend, and then he wanted to repay me for tagging along to his daughter's wedding, even though it wasn't necessary. He took me to dinner, and from that, we'd ask the other sometimes after work to grab a bite to eat. Often, my son, Rusty, would go with us, and that didn't even seem like a small family outing, but I guess that's really what it is. Andy's been repairing things with his kids, especially his daughter, and each time he had a family gathering, I'd offer to go to support him. Even when his daughter and my son suggested more, I shrugged it off; we knew how things stood, but all this time, it was more. I know I hurt Andy, and I know tonight it wasn't fair to you."

"Take a deep breath," he reached for her elbow as they arrived at her car. "I am glad I could be the sounding board you needed tonight. It's okay; we're okay. It does sound like you two have hurt each other quite a bit, and I've been there. That's not easy to repair," he said. Sharon looked to the ground and just nodded as she listened. He patted her arm in reassurance, and then he dropped his hand back to his side.

"Yes, that is the problem," she sighed. "Have you, no," she shook her head, "could you imagine doing what he did? I'm trying to get some perspective on this, but you don't have to answer that," she said as she realized the question was too personal.

Eric looked around, and then he shifted, not wanting to answer her questions. He shrugged, "Look, do I think he's a horrible guy? No. Do I think you are horrible for turning him down? No. Did you each make mistakes that were awful in their own way? Yes. Did you each possibly act without thinking, only later to realize what a stupid thing it was? Yes, in your own ways. I don't know if you can or want to repair things. Do I think he'd do it again? No, not from what you've said. It sounds like the guy has cared about you for years, and he saw the other night as the stab in the heart, the death sentence. Telling people repeatedly he didn't drink, well, he apparently saw that as rock bottom. I guess he tried to fill the void from you, not that it makes it right or excuses it, but he did it poorly, very poorly. I'm a guy," he shrugged. "I haven't been married, but I promise you if I meet a lovely woman, spend a couple years not dating her, and then she turns me down, I promise I won't do what Andy did," he smiled. Sharon wiped a tear and let out a half laugh, half sob as she shook her head. "I also won't lie to you and tell you that I might possibly understand what happened. Might, but I don't condone it either."

She nodded, and then she spoke, "Thank you for listening. You've been a very good friend, and we only just met. The strong woman in me wants to kick him to the curb for what he did. I spent a couple decades with a louse of a husband who didn't care about me. While Andy messed up in some of the same ways, I don't think it's the same situation. That doesn't mean I want anything from him right now. I need for us to work; we need to work together, and right now, that's all I can offer," she shrugged.

"That's a start," he nodded. He patted her elbow again. "Call me if you need to talk, Sharon. I think we have a lot in common, and if I'm not going to be your Andy, I can still be your friend."

Sharon gave him a warm smile, and she nodded to him. "Thank you for the evening."

He reached to her, holding the bag of food. "Don't forget your dinner. Make sure you eat it. It's silly to let good food go to waste." Eric had begged Sharon to let him walk her back, and while she waited just outside the restaurant, he finished squaring away the check. Sharon had already left money on the table, but he caught the waiter and explained they had an emergency. The waiter checked on the food and returned promptly with it bagged; the kitchen staff was just about to plate it when the waiter inquired about it. Sharon took the bag and nodded to him.

"Night," she gave a small wave. He waved too, and once she was in her car, he started walking toward hers.

Sharon sighed and leaned her head back. It had been a disastrous evening. She needed to drive home, but her dinner smelled wonderful. She realized just how hungry she was and decided to taste it. She fumbled with the bag and the take-out container, glad to see a plastic silverware set had been tucked inside, and she took a bite. Yes, here she was, sitting in her car at work, eating her dinner in the car. She had only planned to eat a bite or two, but she was hungry, and the food was still hot. She continued to eat until she noticed movement behind her car. She glanced in her rearview mirror and saw Andy and Provenza walking back from dinner too. Andy had a bag, and she couldn't read the label on the side of it, but Provenza had a cup of coffee in his hand. The two stopped at Andy's car, which was parked several away from hers, and they continued to talk. She frowned, not knowing how long the two might stand there and talk. Suddenly, dinner in her car didn't sound as good as it had just been. She closed her container, packed it up, and she started her car. Andy's car was further up the garage from hers, so she wouldn't have to drive by him. She was sure her car's movement who be noticed, but right now, she didn't care. She wasn't sure what, if anything, she ever wanted to do about Andy, but she wasn't going to sit in a parking garage and think about it tonight.

Sharon awoke in a panic later that night. She'd drive home, finished her dinner (which had gone cold, and she didn't have the energy to heat it up), taken a bath, and she'd climbed into bed. Her panic set in as somehow in her sleep, when her mind wouldn't shut off, she panicked thinking she'd missed Rusty's birthday. She fumbled for her phone, and she was able to breathe a sigh of relief. She still had one more day until Rusty's birthday. It would be like Rusty to not mention his own birthday right now with the mess she had. Rusty usually left clues about his birthday and what he wanted all over the condo, but she hadn't heard him mention it, nor had she noticed any print-outs from things he wanted. Normally, with her sense of occasion, she was all over the kids' birthdays; however, with the situation the last few days and the fact Rusty had begged her a month ago to not have some big party, she'd almost let his birthday slip. That didn't mean she wasn't ready. She'd bought him a few things, clothes, a new watch, and tickets to a concert he and Buzz wanted to see, but she hadn't gotten ready for his birthday at all. The gifts needed to be wrapped, and she hadn't spoken to him about going out to dinner or gotten him a cake. She glanced back at her clock. It was 3:45, too early to get up, but she wasn't sure she would fall back asleep. She could warp the presents, but she laid back down to see if she was still sleepy. As she thought through all that needed to be done for his birthday, she pulled the pillow over her face and smacked at her face. The week was going to get worse; Andy's birthday was two days after Rusty's birthday. It was an oddity they had all enjoyed the last few years. The team had usually gone out the day between the two birthdays to celebrate both, the hard part always being the location. While Rusty wanted all things related to burgers, Andy was a vegetarian, so the last two years, the team had gone out for pizza. Sharon hadn't heard Rusty or the team mention it this year, so she had no idea if a plan was in place. The last two years, at least for Sharon, Andy, and Rusty, it had been a three-day long celebration. Rusty had jokingly told Andy he could come with them to dinner on Rusty's birthday as he and Sharon were going for burgers. Andy had agreed, making sure it was really okay with Rusty, and he'd told him he expected nothing less. Then, the three had been part of the team pizza night, and the third night, on Andy's birthday, Sharon had made dinner for Andy at the condo. Rusty had been home, and of course, invited to that, and he'd enjoyed a seafood dinner with them. This year, Sharon just wanted to scream into her pillow. The birthdays were coming up, just another day away, to start, and she had no idea how she was going to get through the week.


	11. Chapter 11

Sharon never did go back to sleep that morning, but her day improved greatly when she got to work and remembered Andy had to testify in court, making it less awkward around the office. She almost jumped for joy, when the next morning, Rusty's birthday, she learned that court had run long, and Andy hadn't even testified the day before. He'd had to sit and wait, only to be told he was the first up that next morning. So, here for Rusty's birthday, Sharon almost felt like she was the one being given the gift. She had another morning free of Andy, a little bit of relief to her daily stress.

"Captain," she heard as she walked out of her office around 10 that morning to refill her tea. She slowed and turned to Provenza, who had his crossword puzzle on his desk.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" she asked. The rest of the team stopped what they were doing to listen in on the not so private conversation.

"About Rusty's birthday," he started, "well, he told me you said he could invite anyone he wanted."

"Yes," she nodded. She had spoken to Rusty yesterday morning, after her early wake up and told Rusty she wanted to take him out to dinner for his birthday. With that, she'd told him whatever he wanted to do was fine; they could go alone, or he could invite anyone he'd like.

"I did," she smiled at Provenza and nodded to the room. "I'm planning to take him to dinner, and then I am picking up a cake to have back at the condo. I suggested Rusty might want to invite some friends."

"Well, he sent me a text last evening, and he wanted to invite all of us. If that's a problem," he trailed off.

"No, that's fine," Sharon smiled. "I'm glad he wanted to celebrate. I told him the restaurant was his pick tonight, and I thought I would take him early. As you know, he's always hungry, so he and I can go eat, and then maybe we can all get together at the condo for cake?"

Provenza held up his phone, "He told me he wanted to go to his favorite burger joint just now."

Sharon felt for her phone in her pocket, and then she remembered it was on her desk, "I can't say I'm surprised. My phone is on my desk, but I'll text him back to plan for dinner at 5:00. Would that work for everyone, say around 6:30 at the condo for cake?" she looked to the room. "I don't want to take up your entire evening, and this way, you can come and stay as long as you like."

"Looking forward to it, Ma'am," Julio nodded, as did the others.

"Great, and I will pick up the cake on the way home. You know what," she shook her head, "please, any, all of you, please join us for dinner. You all know just how much I enjoy celebrating birthdays, and before Rusty started living with me, he never celebrated his birthday. So, you are all invited to dinner. If you are interested, please join us."

"I'll be there, Captain," Buzz held up his hand to get her attention. "Rusty has good taste in burgers, I can say that." The team chuckled, and they all nodded in agreement to her dinner invitation.

She gave them a smile and a nod and then started toward the break room to make her tea. She was almost done and on her way to the door when Provenza walked in, coffee cup in hand. "Flynn is on his way from court; he just finished testifying."

"Okay," Sharon nodded and continued to the door.

"Captain," he called to her, and she turned again, bracing herself because she had an idea of what he was going to ask.

"I'm not going to be rude," she sighed and shook her head. "He's welcome to come; I know what you are going to ask. While a day off from the normal joint birthday celebration, this is what the team normally does for Rusty and Andy's birthdays."

Provenza looked at her and just nodded. Nothing more needed to be said, and Sharon wasn't even sure he would come.

Sharon retreated to her office and closed her doors. She had packed some crackers and a granola bar, which she nibbled on over the next couple hours. She watched as the team went to lunch and came back, as well as noting that Andy returned too, after what looked like a lunch outing with Provenza. The afternoon was slow, something she didn't mind at all; she had plenty of paperwork, as did the rest of the team. With her dinner confirmed with Rusty, she got up from her desk at 4:30 and gathered her things.

"I still have one errand to run before I meet Rusty for dinner," she told the group, avoiding eye contact Andy. "I will see you soon," she nodded to the group and left. She let out a long sigh of relief on the elevator, another day without a major confrontation with Andy. She wasn't sure if it was getting harder or easier. The two were co-existing at work, but that wasn't necessarily good for the department. Sharon wasn't sure what she wanted to do about that right now, but she didn't want to talk to him; she wasn't ready to talk, and she didn't know what she wanted to say.

Sharon made a quick stop at the store for party supplies, to include plates and napkins. With the team coming over, she wanted it to look like a party. She pulled up at the burger joint, right on time, to find Rusty and most of the team had arrived. She glanced at the clock and was right on time; the team was early.

Sharon stepped into the restaurant; it was a small place near work, somewhere she and Rusty had discovered after he'd moved in with her. Before that, she wasn't sure she'd ever stepped inside the place. It served burgers, fries, and shakes; that was about it. It was also small, so it wasn't hard to find the team.

What she did find almost surprising was that Andy had decided to come. Yes, he was part of the team, but he also knew from first-hand experience with Rusty, the place served only burgers. She gave a small wave to the team as she walked over to the group, surveying the place for a seat as she walked. Rusty was at the head of the table with Provenza and Andy on either side of him. Thankfully, the seat next to Andy was occupied by Buzz, and she found she had two options; she could sit next to Buzz, or she could sit at the other end of the table by Amy. She opted for that, just to get away from Andy.

"Sharon, I didn't know everyone was coming to dinner," Rusty grinned.

She shrugged, "I'm full of surprises. Happy Birthday, Rusty," she smiled as she sat.

"Thanks, Sharon," he grinned. "It's cool all of you came," he nodded to the group. They all offered him a birthday greeting as well.

"Oh, we're here only on the promise of cake later," Provenza pointed out. "The captain promised cake back at the condo. If we live through the burgers, which I'm not complaining because it could be the opposite-Flynn's health food-we get cake. I'm ready to eat."

"Says the guy who ordered the double cheeseburger, a double order of fries, and a large shake," Buzz frowned. The team all laughed as Provenza shrugged, and the conversations started again with the different people. Sharon tried to dive into a conversation with Amy.

"Captain, for what it's worth, I'm sorry things are so tense at work," Amy leaned in to speak quietly to Sharon. Sharon sighed; so much for trying to keep her mind on other topics, and here Amy was bringing them up again.

"Thank you, Amy," she offered a small smile. "I'd like to focus on Rusty today."

"Right," Amy gave a small smile and nodded at her. Sharon turned her attention to Mike, who was across from her and next to Buzz. She decided to broach a subject that would be interesting and yet challenging for the table.

"Mike, how are things on _Badge of Justice_?" she asked as she crossed her hands on the table and leaned in to listen to him talk.

"Oh, there's so much going on right now!" he perked up and started to explain the current episodes in production.

The meal proceeded on, and as Sharon suspected, the topic of Badge made Andy boil. Every now then, she would throw a subtle glance his way, and as much as he was trying not to listen, she's could tell he'd heard every word Mike had said. Mike was so animated about the subject, and when he got excited, it was hard to quiet him. The other end of the table, where Rusty, Andy and Provenza were sitting, tried to carry on their own conversation, but it was hard with Mike's excitement. Sharon thought it was almost sweet justice. Here, Andy, the vegetarian, had come to dinner at a burger joint and then had to listen to a lecture on the one show he despised more than anything else. Sharon wished that was all it took to forgive Andy, a little sweet revenge, but it certainly wasn't.

Dinner continued, and everyone dined on their burgers, everyone but Andy who appeared to be eating a sad looking house salad. Sharon didn't even know the place made salads, and in reality, maybe they didn't, but put together what they could for Andy. She desperately wanted to ask, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. Rusty was happy; she was glad he appeared to have listened to her advice to continue on with his normal interactions with Andy because he spent all of dinner talking to Andy and Provenza. The three looked like normal; they often went to breakfast together, and they had a unique relationship. She knew it had grown a lot more recently with Andy, as he was around more and more, but Rusty had always had a special relationship with Provenza. For a teenage boy who had grown up without a father, Sharon knew Rusty had good guidance from both men, and for that, she was grateful.

Toward the end of dinner, she stepped up from the table to settle the bill. It made her happy to treat her son to dinner, as well as her team, even if right now that included Andy, a man with whom she wasn't sure what she wanted; it was really the least she could do after all the time and energy each member of the team had put into Rusty. Buzz had been a great tutor. Julio had taught Rusty some self-defense moves. Mike had invited Rusty along with his own sons on occasion to different events. Amy had taught Rusty a lot of the defensive driving skills Sharon wasn't so sure anymore she enjoyed experiencing when riding with Rusty. Provenza had been the person Rusty could ask for advice, and Andy, well, he'd been the man Rusty had sought out with addiction and recovery questions. Each person was a crucial piece in the Rusty puzzle, and once Sharon had paid for dinner, she walked back to the table.

"So, dinner is covered," she nodded and before people could protest, she put up her hand. "Do not argue about it. Thank you for being here for Rusty's big day. I'm going to stop on the way home and pick up his cake. Please, go, make yourself at home, and I'll be there shortly, hopefully, even ahead of everyone. Rusty, if you walk me out, I will send you home with the plates and everything else."

The team thanked Sharon, and Rusty jumped up to walk her outside. "Sharon, thanks for the dinner. It's really cool the whole team came."

"Hmm, of course, Rusty. You're more than welcome. Thank you for coming into my life. You have given me a new outlook on so much," she smiled warmly at him as she squeezed his arm.

Rusty smiled and then changed his stance. Sharon knew he had a question, and she raised her eyebrows at him, "Okay," he rolled his eyes. "I don't know how you do that, but like is it okay if the whole team comes for cake?"

Sharon tried to figure out what he was asking, and it clicked suddenly. She just offered him a small smile and a pat on his arm, "Rusty, everyone," she enunciated, is welcome. I am a grown woman, and I can deal with the whole team at our home. It's fine, really."

"Are you sure? If you aren't cool with it, I can just tell Lieutenant Flynn I'll send him some cake with Lieutenant Provenza."

Sharon covered her mouth as she tried not to laugh, "Rusty, first, I'm laughing at the visual of Provenza taking home any dessert and not eating it for himself. Second," she patted his arm again, "it's okay. I work with Andy each day, and I can handle him at the condo for an hour."

"Okay," Rusty sighed. "I'm sorry this is weird. I can like not talk to him if you want."

"Absolutely not," Sharon said immediately. "Rusty, I was serious when I said to not change anything with Andy. Keep whatever issues he and I are having out of your interactions with him. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I just hate what he did."

"That's for me, not you," she told him sternly. "Our issues developed from both of us; no one is an innocent party. I'm not going to discuss it in detail, but you, Andy, and Provenza have always gotten along. Keep that," she squeezed his arm as she said it. She gave him a small smile and then reached into the car for the birthday décor. "This is for your party."

"Police car plates?" he grimaced when he looked in the bag at the plate's design. Sharon held back a smile.

"Well, you said you never had a birthday party as a child. Embrace your inner child. It was either police cars or zoo animals at the store today, and somehow, the police cars just fit." She winked at Rusty, and then closed her door. She put the window down when she started the car. "I'll see you at home shortly."

It took Sharon longer than planned to pick up Rusty's cake. She wasn't sure if she made the mistake or it was total irony the cake said, "Happy Birthday Ricky." She really thought she'd said 'Rusty,' but her mind was all over the place, and if she had to be honest, she'd almost forgotten her youngest son's birthday, her recently adopted youngest son's birthday. The bakery was very gracious about it all and fixed the cake while she waited. It was her favorite bakery, and that wasn't due to the fact they were open until 8:00. She'd been known to make late stops there over the years, picking up cakes and other pastries for the kids and work. Even before she owned her condo, the family home had been nearby as well. It was a deal breaker when she bought the condo to move out of the area, her neighborhood, so this bakery was a family staple. Finally, with the cake and correct name in hand, she headed to the house.

Sharon wasn't sure what she expected to see when she arrived at the condo, but the scene in front of her was not it. Perhaps she had a small twinge of hope Andy wouldn't come, that he wouldn't make the evening any more awkward than it had already been. Perhaps she expected him to sulk in a corner, but helping Rusty in the kitchen wasn't it. She had to hand it to Andy; he was treating Rusty as she'd expect, as if nothing had changed, and she didn't want anything to change with the two. Yes, they were often awkward around each other when she would have Andy to the condo, but the two got along okay. He was acting as the host, even if he might consider himself the temporary host. Upon entering, Sharon saw Amy, Buzz, and Julio sitting on the couch and in the chairs talking. Provenza was on the balcony talking to Mike, but the doors were open; it wasn't meant as a private conversation. She assumed by the sheer number of people and locations that Andy and Rusty were in the kitchen getting drinks and snack foods out. Sharon put her keys and purse down by the door and nodded to Julio, Buzz, and Amy who looked up at her as she entered.

"Sorry I'm late to my own home," she sighed and rolled her eyes. "It took longer than expected at the bakery." She gathered the cake, where she'd put it on the hall table, and she walked around the corner to the kitchen, where she almost stopped in her tracks at the sight of the 'hosts' serving drinks. Andy was digging around in the cabinets like he knew where everything was located, and truth be told, he did know where everything was in her kitchen. Rusty was pouring drinks, and he looked up at Sharon as she put the cake on the counter.

"Rusty," she sighed, "you aren't supposed to be the host at your own party. I'm sorry I'm late. There was an issue at the bakery, but all is well now," she put her hands on the cake and smiled at him. She ignored the fact Andy was digging through the fridge looking for drinks.

"It's fine, Sharon," he shrugged. "I live here too, and the lieutenant has been helping me. I need to take this to Lieutenant Provenza before he gets mad." Rusty ducked out of the kitchen leaving Andy there with Sharon. He closed the refrigerator and put the drinks on the counter, now right in front of her.

"Thank you for your help," she nodded in a firm and crisp greeting. Sharon crossed her arms over her chest in an almost defensive stance.

"Before he gets mad-Provenza, like he's ever happy," Andy chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, going back over Rusty's sentence. He didn't look Sharon in the eye, but he wanted to gauge her attitude. Andy didn't want to admit he was a little touched Sharon still had his cranberry juice and favorite tea. He'd already poured some of the juice, and as he was digging around to start the coffee, he happened to notice plenty of his favorite tea was still in the cabinet. Sharon had started him on tea, and while they liked many of the same ones, he liked a ginger one she really didn't like. "It's been no trouble helping. Glad to do so-anything for the kid and to help you."

Sharon hummed at Andy's attempt to soften the mood. She looked down at the cake again, and she ran her finger over the perimeter of the box. She didn't know what to say, and the party here at her condo was no place to discuss anything, not to mention she wasn't sure what she wanted to discuss anyway.

"Listen, Sharon," Andy sighed as he said it. Sharon's expression turned from stoic to irritated almost instantly. "Fine, Captain," he rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"No, that wasn't what- ," she sighed and just cleared her throat.

Andy raised his arms in defense, as to almost understand what she was thinking. His initial thought, that she was annoyed with him calling her Sharon still was of target, but he started again. "I just wanted to thank you for buying dinner. You didn't have to do that; I've never asked you ever, or really even allowed," he sighed and shook his head, "buy dinner, but it was nice of you to do that for the whole team."

Sharon just nodded while she played with her hands, a nervous habit. To steer her attention away from Andy, she turned to the rest of the guests, "It's Rusty's birthday, and whether dinner here or a diner, I wanted to do that. Thank you for not making this too awkward with everything," she told him. She caught Provenza's eye; he was assessing the situation from the balcony, and she looked to Andy, not meeting his gaze. "Your partner probably needs a refill," and with that, she walked toward the balcony, leaving Andy alone in her kitchen where he looked comfortable, almost too comfortable.

Rusty's party was one thing; the team was there, and everyone was behaving. Andy's birthday, that was going to be a different story, and Sharon wasn't sure how she was going to handle it.


	12. Chapter 12

The team was called out to a case while Sharon was handing out slices of cake. The party ended rather quickly after that, as most ended up taking their cake to go. It was a welcome relief, on one hand, as it didn't allow for any awkward departures. Rusty was okay about it all too; he'd had a great birthday, and he joked with Sharon it only left him with more cake.

"Lieutenant Provenza only had time for one piece of cake," he grinned to her as the two cleaned up from the party. "I consider that a win."

Sharon laughed out loud at the comment, and then she checked the time. "I think I am going to take a hot shower, change, and head into work. That should give them enough time at the crime scene."

"I'll finish here," he told her.

"You will not," she gestured for him to go. "This is almost done, and you are not cleaning up anything on your birthday. I'm glad you had such a nice day."

"Thank you for the presents," he told her. Before the cake, Rusty had opened his gifts. The team had been very generous with Rusty, something that warmed Sharon's heart. Buzz had gotten Rusty movie tickets for a movie the two wanted to see. Mike, Julio, and Amy had combined their resources to get him a gift card to the mall. Provenza had purchased Rusty a gift card to the burger place where they had just had dinner (a comical gift Sharon and Rusty laughed about after everyone left). The surprise, but not really a surprise, had been Andy's gift. He had gotten Rusty a new phone case and a set of headphones Rusty had wanted. Sharon knew the gifts were expensive; Rusty had been talking about both items for quite some time. The headphones alone were over $100, and the generosity was much appreciated. Sharon had not bought Rusty either gift because she'd gone the practical route, getting him a few things he needed. Besides, she wasn't up on technology, so she was always afraid she would buy the wrong thing. It was just like Andy to not only know what Rusty wanted, but buy the two items she would have had trouble purchasing. While things between she and Andy were a mess, Andy continued to prove to be the kind, generous man she knew.

Sharon smiled at Rusty, "You're welcome. I'm glad you like your gifts. I hope that watch is okay," she nodded at him. She had bought Rusty a good watch, as his current one was falling apart. With Rusty doing different things in college, she wanted him to have a good one, and she'd found one she really liked.

"Oh, it's great. Thanks again. I appreciate it, as well as the clothes. You know I'm terrible at picking out that kind of thing, but it's definitely one of your favorite hobbies."

"Indeed," she hummed. Sharon had purchased quite a few new things for Rusty. As much as he loved his hoodies, they needed to be upgraded for his potential job internships. She remembered doing the same for Ricky when he was Rusty's age, and she was just glad Rusty appreciated her taste in clothing and her outfitting him for school and work. She tried to get the "boring" items for birthdays and let the kids buy the exciting things with gift cards or money they had earned.

"I'm going to go to my room and listen to some music," he nodded to her. Sharon was cleaning up a pile from the table, and she called to Rusty.

"Your new headphones," she handed him the box. "I' sure you'd like to use these. I know you've mentioned wanting them."

"Yeah, I hope you don't care the lieutenant got these for me, unless you'd already told him to do that?"he asked.

"No," she offered a small smile. "I'm very glad he got you something you have been wanting, and no, I didn't tell him. That was all Andy."

"So, is he, like," he shook his head, "are you doing anything for his birthday? I know you usually do something," Rusty asked.

"Not this year," she frowned. "It just doesn't seem right."

After her shower, Sharon collected her things to return to work. Provenza called her when she was pulling into the parking garage, and he told her their case was a problem; it involved a judge's son. Sharon sighed, as she listened to the details. It was going to be another long night, and she had to start by calling her friend. Sharon was no stranger to calling judges late into the night; this time, it was personal, not professional.

By the next day, Sharon was ready for the day to end. The case was taking its toll on her, and if her emotions weren't heightened enough already, they were at their breaking point now. On top of their victim, they had been searching for a critical missing. Thankfully, he turned up at home, but that only added to the oddity of the case. By the time the team closed the case, Sharon wanted to crawl home and into her bed.

"Go home," she told the team sadly. "Get some rest, and we will finish all the paperwork tomorrow. It's been a very long almost 24 hours," she said sadly. "Cases like this are always tough. Spend time with your families, and I will see you back here at 10:00 tomorrow morning."

The team moved quickly; no one wanted to stand around after they had worked almost two days straight, with only a short amount of time off when they celebrated Rusty's birthday. That only reminded Sharon she had Andy's birthday the next day, and while it wouldn't be like it had been the last couple of years, she would, at least, recognize the day.

With the team told to report at 10:00, Sharon knew she had time in the morning to leave a card on Andy's desk. She'd debated on what to do for his birthday, and she hoped she was doing the right thing. When she had wrapped Rusty's gifts days earlier, she'd stumbled onto the gifts she had bought for Andy. She'd almost forgotten them, but she'd purchased them at the same time she had Rusty's gifts. She had purchased a new set of cufflinks for Andy. He always enjoyed wearing them, and he'd mentioned to her the main pair he wore had been a gift from his sister long ago. So, she'd bought him a set. She'd also bought him a new shirt, tie, and suspenders set, definitely an Andy gift. She didn't know many men who enjoyed clothing as much as Andy did, certainly not any other police officers. She continued to stare at Andy's gifts as she wrapped Rusty's things. She had even contemplated taking them back, but that didn't seem right either. Giving the gifts to him right now didn't feel right either, so she'd put them back in the bag and then back into her closet. She'd gone the safer route today; she'd bought him a card and made a cheesecake.

She almost didn't make the cheesecake, but she always either baked or purchased a treat for birthdays. Each member of the team liked different things. Provenza was easy; he loved doughnuts, so she always bought those on his birthday. Buzz preferred carrot cake, and because that wasn't something she normally made, she usually ordered it from the local bakery. Amy liked pie, cherry pie, to be exact. Sharon normally made that, but she remembered last year, they had been in the middle of a case, so she'd bought Amy a pie. Mike liked chocolate cake, simple chocolate cake. Julio loved cookies, really any cookies, so she normally made a tray with a variety for all to enjoy. That left her with Andy today. She couldn't ignore his birthday. As the boss, she always brought in a treat on birthdays, and today couldn't be an exception. Guessing Andy's favorite thing, well, it wasn't even a guess. She knew it by heart, had for years. Andy loved her cheesecake. It was his favorite dessert, no question about it. When they would go out to eat, he rarely got cheesecake because he said all others were a disappointment compared to Sharon's cheesecake. Knowing all that, Sharon had gotten up early to bake the cheesecake, and she currently balanced it with Andy's card as she rode up the elevator at work.

"Lieutenant," she said, somewhat surprised to find Provenza already in the team break room when she arrived. She glanced at the clock on the wall; it was 9:15, and even for Provenza, this was unexpected, especially after they had worked late into the night.

"Captain," he looked up from his cup of coffee and crossword puzzle. He noticed the container in her hand and raised his eyebrows at her. "Flynn's birthday?"he said with a hint of surprise seeing that she'd brought dessert.

"Yes," she nodded. "He's a member of the team; I always do something for birthdays."

"That wouldn't happen to be your famous cheesecake? Anytime Flynn and I go out to eat practically, I hear about that, about how no other cheesecake can top yours."

"Hmm, well, I can't exactly make something different. It is his favorite dessert, and I always try to please my detectives," she pointed out to him. Sharon had brought the cheesecake before, but if she remembered correctly, Provenza had been in court last year. Before that, she wasn't sure why he hadn't had the dessert, but she didn't think he'd ever tried it.

"You know he's devastated about everything, regrets it all. For what it's worth, you know the guy would never do that again; it's not his style. I know you have already dealt with that in your adult life," he told her.

"Yes, I do know that," she sighed as she closed the refrigerator door with the cheesecake tucked inside. "I also know my emotional instability has been a huge factor in this mess. I know I am a fault too, yes, for a different reason, but I'm at fault. I'm still dealing with that and trying to come to terms with everything."

"So, are you going to talk to the guy? He's trying to give you space," he told her.

"Hmm, I know I'm not going to discuss this with you; that's what I know. I appreciate your concern for your best friend, but this is something between Andy and me. I was complacent with Jack when I should not have been, and I'm struggling not to behave in the same manner with Andy. Yes, it's different; Andy is not my husband; his actual role in my life is part of the question and the problem, but I need to sort through all of this."

"Captain, I don't want to be in the middle of this, believe me," Provenza eyed her. "I'll keep you posted, though, if there is any concern. He's not drinking, but quite the opposite, he's going to meetings like crazy."

"Good," she nodded and continued, "perhaps I need to take that same idea to heart and see spiritual guidance. That is where my heart ultimately is, with God and the church. Perhaps, I'll find my answer there," she nodded.

"I won't comment on my thoughts there, Captain," he told her.

"Well, maybe, we should just get to work, then. It's Andy's birthday and a paperwork day. Let's close up things early so you and Andy can do whatever it is I'm sure you have planned." She gave him a small smile and started for the door.

"Dinner at my house," Provenza said to her. "I told Flynn we could go out, even said it was his pick," he rolled his eyes. "Flynn told me he wanted a quiet night in for his birthday, that he'd enjoyed that the last couple years, and he had plans to just go home alone. So, he's coming to dinner at my place. Patrice is cooking."

Sharon smiled sadly, "Good. Take good care of him," she nodded and started to her office.


	13. Chapter 13

Sharon was called to Taylor's office shortly after her discussion with Provenza, so she wasn't in the office when the rest of the team arrived. Taylor, as she expected, did a lot of talking, and it was almost noon before she was released. While she was in her meeting, the team had an interesting morning.

"Delivery for a Lieutenant Flynn," the delivery guy stated from the corner of the room. Andy looked up and nodded to him.

"I'm Lieutenant Flynn," he stood. "What can I help you with today?" The rest of the team stopped working; it was only paperwork anyway, and this was more interesting.

"Just a package, here, Sir," he smiled. "Have a good day," he said as Andy signed for it, and the square package was handed to him. It wasn't huge, but it was a decent sized, flat package.

"What's that?" Provenza asked.

"Well, if I knew, I wouldn't be standing here looking surprised like a moron!" Andy exclaimed. "I have no idea."

"Not from me," Provenza chuckled. "Not my style. You get Patrice's cooking for your birthday, and that's it," he nodded.

"At least it's Patrice cooking," Andy smirked. "Do you really think I'd come over if you were cooking?" The team all laughed, and Amy jumped in the conversation.

"Where's it from, Lieutenant, or maybe who? I guess someone sent you a birthday present," she smiled.

The team all slowly turned their gaze toward Sharon's empty office, and while no one wanted to say it, they were all suspecting she'd sent it. Andy picked up on that right away. "Guys, there's no way," he shook his head.

"She did at least make you a cheesecake," Provenza pointed out. He hadn't told Andy that yet this morning. "That's something."

"She did?" he perked up. "Why didn't you tell me?" he scowled. "It's her homemade cheesecake?"

"Well, do you really think she'd come in here with anything else? Now, I didn't ask if it was dosed with arsenic, but we will definitely let you have the first piece. It's in the break room refrigerator. I wasn't going to say anything until she got back from her meeting, but there you go. It's something," Provenza said.

Andy nodded as he looked at the gift. "Lieutenant, where is it from, the gift?" Buzz asked.

"Oh, it just has 'The Frame Shop' on it," he said as he studied the address. "It's here in LA."

"Well, I'd suggest opening it before your next birthday. No guarantee you'll even make it to that," Provenza nodded at him. Andy threw him a glare, and he started to open it.

"Hello!" they all turned quickly at the sound of a high-pitched, excited voice.

"Nicole!" Andy exclaimed, and his face instantly turned to a huge smile. "This is a surprise!"

"Happy Birthday, Dad," she smiled as she walked to him. She grimaced when she saw the package in his hand. "Oh, I was afraid of that," she gestured to the package. "I wanted to intercept the gift, or hopefully stop it. That's from me. I ordered it a long time ago, and I forgot that it was going to be delivered until I got a text alert on my phone this morning. Dad, that was supposed to be your birthday present, but you aren't going to want it."

Andy's curiosity was obvious now, as he looked at her, and then he turned his attention to the rest of the room. They were all looking quite interested too.

"Nicole, this is from you?" he held it up as he asked.

"Yes, and really, I'm sorry. Don't even open it. I'll just take it back," she tried to pull it from him.

"No, no, no," he smiled. "Whatever you ordered, I'm sure I'll love it. That was very thoughtful, Sweetheart," he smiled warmly at her.

"Dad," she said as she sighed. "Please, I don't think you want to open that."

Andy was already opening it, and as he pulled it out, he could see it was a framed photo of some sort. Andy's expression changed as he opened it from being curious to nostalgic as he saw what it was. "Oh, wow," he said quietly.

"Dad, I really think I should just take that," she said.

"What is it?" Julio asked. The team had been quiet, and they were all very interested to see what was so controversial for Andy's birthday gift.

"Dad, I'm sorry. Like I said, I ordered it awhile ago from that frame shop. I was ordering some prints for the house," she shrugged, " and, then they offered to deliver it when I said you worked nearby."

Andy just nodded as he held the large photo. It was a 10x12 size picture in a matted, larger frame. He looked up to the team, "It's a picture," he said as he stated the obvious. "It's ahh, well, almost a family picture."

Nicole hung her head, as Andy turned it around for the team to see. They all stood to walk toward them, and Nicole clarified things as they did. "I framed this picture of Dad, Sharon, the boys, Dean, myself, Rusty, and even my brother," she admitted. "Last December, we all went to the Nutcracker," she explained.

"Ahh, yes, we remember well," Provenza nodded toward her, and then he rolled his eyes as he met Andy's gaze.

"Right," she nodded and continued, "so, after the ballet, Dad suggested we all get dessert. The boys were starving, and the evening had gone so well. We went to a nearby restaurant for dessert, and we asked the waiter to take this picture. It came out so well," she shrugged. "I thought he would like it. We don't have many with everyone, but now," she shook her head and turned to Andy. "Dad, I'm sorry."

Andy stared at the photo while Nicole spoke. He ran his hand over it, and he just continued with his blank stare. "That was a wonderful night," he said fondly. "We thought the boys ordered a big dessert," he chuckled quietly. "Remember, Nic, they brought out the boys' sundaes first, and they were huge. The boys were ecstatic, and then if those weren't big enough, they brought out that piece of chocolate cake Sharon had ordered for us to share," he shook his head. "Now, that was the biggest dessert I've ever seen."

"Sorry I'm so late," the team all turned quickly as they heard Sharon enter the room. She looked a little frazzled, but she was in one of her favorite suits, a black skirt, matching jacket, with a deep purple top. Her heels gave her away as she moved quickly through the room, and everyone recognized her frenzied state after a long meeting with Taylor. She stopped when she noticed everyone around Andy's desk. Nicole turned too, and her smile grew when she saw Sharon.

"Sharon," she said happily and walked quickly across the room to greet her. The team dispersed, and Andy started to pack up the photo before it became an even bigger topic of discussion.

"Nicole," Sharon smiled warmly at the sight of her. The two women had become good friends, very good friends. Nicole liked Sharon a lot, and the feeling was mutual. Sharon gave Nicole a quick hug, and then she stepped back to study her. Andy was still trying to pack up the picture, while the team had all taken their seats to watch the family drama unfold.

"It's lovely to see you," Sharon smiled at her. "I suppose you are here to take your dad to lunch."

"Oh, right, yes," Nicole nodded. "Dad, care to join me for lunch? I can take care of that for you too," she gestured to his hand, where he was still trying to shove the frame in the box. It had been packed so well, and he was trying very hard not to break it.

"Lunch, oh, yes, that sounds nice," he said as he finally gave up and put the frame and box, which was still a mess, in his desk chair. He rolled up his chair to his desk, so it would be hard to see what was there, now almost hidden. Sharon gave an odd glance toward him, and he just smiled at Nicole. "Ahh, Captain?" he looked to her to make sure it was okay he take off for lunch. Sharon snapped her head up with a moment of panic on her face, as she was afraid Andy had just asked her to join them. That would have been a normal question, but she quickly realized he was asking permission to go to lunch.

"Have a nice lunch," she nodded to him, and she turned and smiled at Nicole. "It was wonderful to see you. Enjoy your time," she gave her a sad smile and then turned toward Provenza. "Lieutenant, I think this would be a good time for everyone to go to lunch," she nodded.

"You heard her," Provenza stood and grabbed his jacket. "Lunch, everyone, and then ah, Captain, say 1:00 here for your Taylor review?"

"Yes, thank you," she nodded to him, to the room, and to Nicole before she started to her office.

Sharon retreated to her office where she busied herself with paperwork for a good 20 minutes, and when she looked up, she found the room empty. Everyone had followed her suggestion for lunch. She glanced toward Andy's desk, and her curiosity got the better of her. She could see something sticking up from his chair, and per Andy's style, the gift was a mess. While she hadn't commented, she had noticed the team disperse quickly when she entered the room, and when she coupled that with Andy's behavior around the gift, she wondered what it was. Sharon stood, and she opened the side door, now very curious. No one was in the room; even their normal patrol officers were at lunch, and so, without moving his chair, she tried to peek at the gift. It was a frame, so she figured it was a picture or a painting. She checked again, and no one was around, so she moved the one piece of tissue paper still in the way. What she saw surprised her, and it made her gasp quietly. It was a lovely picture, one she wanted to pull out and admire right then and there, but she knew she couldn't do that. Nicole had obviously had the picture professionally framed, and it looked wonderful in the frame. Sharon sighed as she continued to look at it, happier times with his family. She missed all of them, but just saying that wasn't going to fix everything.

Sharon packed up the gift to the state it had been, probably a bit better, and then she returned to her office. She set an alarm on her phone for 4:00. They'd have cheesecake at 4:00 to celebrate Andy's birthday, and then she would release everyone for the day. It was the least she could do when they had all been working hard, and after all, it was his birthday. She'd work in a quiet office and then join Rusty for dinner at home.

The afternoon passed quickly, and at 4:00, Sharon left her office and walked to the break room to put out the cheesecake. She pulled out the rest of the police car birthday plates from Rusty's party, a tiny hint of gratification for using them for Andy's birthday too, and she sliced the cheesecake. After she had it sliced and the toppings out, she went in search of the team.

"Everyone," she said after they turned toward her at the sound of her shoes. "I've got cheesecake in the break room," she nodded toward Andy. "It seems we have another birthday."

The team all stood, and Julio and Buzz grinned at the idea of a homemade dessert. "Ma'am you made my day," Julio grinned.

"Captain, don't ever tell my sister that I prefer your cheesecake," Buzz grinned. "I look forward to this day now each year, and I was even worried we wouldn't have cheesecake this year."

Sharon just gave him a small smile as she nodded to the team. Before Andy and Provenza walked by her, as they were pulling up the rear, she turned and followed the rest of the team. It only took a few moments to assemble, and after a very off-key round of 'Happy Birthday,' Sharon served everyone. She gave Andy his slice first, and when he took the plate from her, and nodded and gave her a small smile.

"Thank you for the cheesecake, Captain," he said.

She tried to hide her surprised expression at his now again calling her captain. Of course, that was her rank, but he hadn't called her that in a long time, at least not when the two were speaking directly to each other. She'd noted it earlier in the day when he'd asked permission to go to lunch, but she'd brushed that off as his just being professional in front of the team and Nicole. Now, after so long, it almost hurt. "Happy Birthday," she forced a smile and gave him his dessert.

"I know this takes effort," he gestured to the cheesecake, but the double meaning wasn't lost on Sharon. "I really appreciate it. It's still my favorite dessert."

"You're welcome, Andy," she nodded. "Whatever is left, please take it home."

Before anything else could be said, Provenza interrupted, possibly with impeccable timing, "Captain, just a question, is the cheesecake safe for all of us to eat?"

The comment broke the ice; Sharon smiled toward Provenza, "I suppose you'll have to find out, Lieutenant."

The team spent the next few minutes enjoying their dessert, and then Sharon told them to go home for the evening. Andy hadn't mentioned the card she'd left for him, but he also might not have seen it. She wasn't looking for recognition; all she had done was leave a card for him. She almost felt badly about it too; it was such a lousy card. Sharon was almost embarrassed. It was simple, just a card with a cake and candles on it that said, 'Happy Birthday,' and inside, it had a basic greeting she couldn't remember. It was something about enjoying one's special day, but it wasn't a good card. She'd only signed, 'Sharon' at the bottom, no note or anything else. She'd almost put, 'Sharon Raydor,' but she knew that might even cause him to roll his eyes and throw it away. She wasn't trying to be mean; she just didn't know what to say or how to say it. The real card, the card she'd bought for him weeks ago when she'd bought Rusty's card too, was home, packed away, and she had no intention of giving that to him. It had been perfect, perfect for the moment, but the moment had passed.

Sharon had planned to stay at work, but the thought of being there when Andy left for the day almost made her nauseous, so she told Provenza she would be leaving but would return later. He nodded to her, and she grabbed her purse and was out of the office before most of the team finished talking in the break room.

Her destination became clear as she rode the elevator to the parking garage. To be honest, she didn't have a destination in mind when she decided to chicken out and avoid Andy, but as she got in her car, she turned it in a familiar direction, to her church. She wasn't sure what she was seeking, but she always found peace there, often answers too, just from sitting and praying. It only took her 20 minutes to arrive, and when she did, she walked slowly up the front steps and sighed as she entered. She felt a bit better already. The confessional was occupied, so she took a seat in the pew and started to think and eventually then started to pray. Deep down, she knew she needed to speak to Andy; she just didn't want to do that. She also didn't want to walk away. That was becoming more and more evident, no matter how much of a mess things were currently. She continued to pray, and when she finished, she looked and stood to move to the confessional. She tried to come every couple weeks, but it had not been almost a month.

Her time with the priest was private, but when she finished, she felt somewhat better. She'd told him that her emotions were all over the place, and that she knew what she needed to do, that she at least needed to speak to Andy, but she was having trouble executing the plan. He continued to encourage her, while he offered no specific answer. She stepped out, now back into the main sanctuary area of the church, and she took a deep breath. When she was finally ready to head home, she started toward the front door. She wasn't even to the back of the sanctuary when she ran into the subject of her thoughts.

"Andy?" she looked at him with total surprise on his face. She could tell he didn't expect to see her either. His face was just as surprised.

"Captain," he nodded and looked to the ground.

"What are you doing here at my church? Did you follow me?" she asked, now almost irritated.

"No, no, no!" he said with surprise as he looked up to her. She could see panic setting in, and it was then she realized he had not followed her. "I didn't follow you. Look, I've been coming here now for the last few weeks."

"My church?" she asked.

He sighed and looked up before he looked to the ground again, "It's a long story," he tried to end the explanation there, but he could tell Sharon wasn't going to just let him leave it at that. "Look, when I stopped by your place that one night, and I couldn't see you, I started driving around. I almost drove to Nicole's house, but she wasn't very happy with me then either. I ended up here, which was better than the alternative of a liquor store. Of course, I knew this was your church, but I saw they were having an AA meeting that night. So, I stayed," he shrugged. "You know I have my own AA group too, but that night, I just needed another meeting. Your priest was still here, and after the meeting, he recognized me from coming to things for Rusty. We got to talking, and since then, I've come a couple times to talk to him."

Sharon's eyes grew wide as she listened. Andy had been coming here to speak with her priest, and of course, she'd just spoken to him as well. It was almost comical, but thankfully, she knew the priest took his vows very seriously.

"I see," she crossed her arms and looked to the ground.

"Look, I won't show up here again," he said. "I just had time before I wanted to show up at Provenza's place, and well, you know he doesn't live far away either."

Sharon realized this was the perfect opportunity to suggest she and Andy talk, but as she had done before with her relationships, she pushed that idea aside. "I won't keep you, then," she nodded. "Andy, if you are finding what you need here, do not stop coming on my account. We can certainly handle running into each other here."

He nodded, the relief evident on his face. "Thanks, Captain."

She nodded and pulled her purse onto her shoulder as she started to walk away. She did turn before she got too far away from him to correct one thing, "Sharon has always been fine, Andy."


	14. Chapter 14

After Andy's birthday, Sharon was glad for an upcoming weekend. Time to clear her head, that was what she needed. All of that, of course, the idea she'd have time to clear her head, ended with yet another case.

"Captain, we have multiple dead, dropped off at the hospital," Provenza told her. "This case, it smells; something is off."

Sharon didn't have a good feeling after that either, and as the case proceeded, she realized her gut instinct, as well as Provenza's was correct. The team returned from the airport, what should have been a simple apprehension of a suspect, but it wasn't that easy, nor apparently that safe. Sharon always counted as the team entered, making sure they had all returned safely. It was silly, really, but it had become a habit over the years. It reminded her when the kids were little, and as mostly a single parent, she would constantly count the two of them to make sure she had eyes on them. As she thought back to that, Sharon realized she still did it now, even with three grown children. She'd done it the last time all three had been home, and they had gone to the movies. That seemed unnecessary, but still it was an instinct. That motherly instinct, she suppose that is what it was, continued into her current job where she was always sending her team out into potentially dangerous situations. This time, as she looked up she noted the team looked off. She hadn't gotten a report of anything off during their return, just a text from Amy that they were headed back to the office. That was a little unusual; usually, Andy let her know that, but obviously, things on that front were strained. So, she knew the team was in transits and assumed all was well. She started her count: one-Buzz, two-Mike, three-Julio, four-Amy, five-Provenza, and six-where was Andy? She waited, expecting that he'd made a stop, either the restroom or for a cup of coffee, but after a few minutes, and no Andy, she stood to find out what was going on with the situation. It was also a bit odd Provenza had not already stopped in her office to update her on their suspect.

"Where's Andy?" she asked as she walked into the room. She scanned it quickly, making sure she hadn't missed his entrance from a different direction.

Somehow, whatever Provenza said was blurry to her; she didn't hear it all, just something about a dust up and doctor. She tried making eye contact with the rest of the team, and Sharon knew it was more than Provenza was letting on when no one would make eye contact with her.

"Why didn't he call?" she turned to look at the team, a little irritated. She frowned when Provenza held up his phone. That was not like Andy; he always had his phone on him.

"He's going to be fine," Provenza sighed as he shook his head at her. "Let's focus," and she again, knew he continued to talk, but her mind went blank. Andy had not returned with the team; he always returned with the team. The team was just that, a team, and they stuck together. She couldn't lose it, not now; they did have a case, and as his boss, because that is what she was, she had to focus. She would get an update on Andy, from Andy, when there was one. She continued to tell herself she would be this concerned had it been any member of the team; she was just doing her job as a boss.

She didn't have to wait long because Andy returned an hour later. He looked awful, and whatever had happened, it was worse than Provenza had told Sharon. She had been looking at something at Mike's desk when he entered the room. Mike nudged Sharon, and she glanced up, and she knew without a mirror, that her face had turned white. She stood and moved across the room quickly.

"Andy, you look awful. Go, have a seat," she nodded to him, glad when he walked toward her office. She looked to Provenza, and he shrugged.

"Lieutenant, we will discuss later that you didn't give me an accurate report on his condition," she said across the room.

"Captain," he sighed, "that was all Flynn. He didn't want to worry you. I tried to change his mind."

"He did, Ma'am," Julio nodded. "We all did, but he wanted to deal with things on his own."'

Sharon pursed her lips. She guessed she had that coming, the blurred lines between professional and personal. As the incident commander, Provenza had handled it as he deemed necessary, and while he hadn't been exactly upfront when they returned, he had reported to her, as she'd had to do with Taylor on things. She sighed and shook her head; she could feel a headache forming. "Lieutenant, please let Chief Taylor know. I suspect he's going to want to be part of this update, as will you," she nodded to him and started to her office. Provenza nodded at her and picked up his phone to call Taylor.

Sharon opened her side office door, walked in, and then she closed it. The main door was still open, which was fine as she expected Provenza and Taylor momentarily. Andy looked pitiful; he was sitting in a chair with his eyes closed, and she could tell he was in pain. As she walked behind her desk, Andy opened his eyes at the sound of the door and the movement. He gave her a slight frown.

"Before Provenza and Taylor get here, want to tell me why this didn't warrant a call?" she asked.

He sighed and immediately grimaced in pain. She had just pulled her chair up and sat down, and at the sight of him in pain, she started to stand again. He caught her movement, and he raised his hand to stoop her. "I'm fine," he told her.

"You're not fine," she said, rather sharply.

"It was a stupid thing. I was thrown from the car as I tried to stop her. I'll be okay," he explained.

"Thrown from the car! Andy, you aren't 25; you aren't even 45! What were your thinking?" Sharon asked.

He raised an eyebrow at her, "I was thinking a suspect was going to get away if she wasn't stopped. Do I wish things had turned out differently? Of course! Story of my life, especially lately, but it is what it is," he sighed and sank back into his seat. He grimaced as he shifted again.

"What meds did they give you? I'm guessing you wouldn't take most of what they offered," she stated.

He just nodded, "Basic stuff, but it's not helping much."

Sharon glanced up to see Taylor walking toward her office, and then Provenza, when he saw Taylor, stood and followed him. Soon, they were all gathered in Sharon's office.

"Flynn, you don't need to be here," Taylor told him.

"Chief, I was just getting an account of the events from him, and yes, I agree with you," Sharon explained to Taylor. "Andy, we are going to send you home. We'll get someone to take you home."

Andy rolled his eyes, but he sat back in his chair as he listened and explained the situation. When the decision had been made for him to go home, Taylor and Provenza went on their way. Sharon stood to get back to work, and she had pity on Andy when she saw him start to stand too.

"Sit down,"she said quietly as she put her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and started to say something, but he stopped himself, nodded, and he sat down again. She noticed he grimaced in pain again. "Stay here, and I'll get someone to take you home."

Andy just nodded, which told Sharon he was in a great deal of pain. He always had something smart to say about any situation, and the fact he was so quiet, Andy was in pain. The case progressed so quickly that Sharon didn't have a moment to stop and deal with Andy. At each moment she thought she could stop and address Andy's need to go home, the case took a turn, and she couldn't stop to address his needs. It was when she and Provenza were speaking to the limo driver again that Andy collapsed, or he almost did. Thankfully, the driver noticed Andy's odd behavior through the blinds, and Sharon was able to catch him while Provenza called for an ambulance.

"Mike, would you please go with Andy to the hospital?" she asked as the paramedics were assessing him. Mike had given the medical information to the paramedics, and Sharon knew he was the best one to send in this situation. They were about to close the case; someone needed to go with Andy, and in this moment, she needed key people for the case. Provenza needed to obtain the warrant and run the home search. Buzz was needed for that too with his camera. As for the other three, she only needed two to go with Provenza, and since Mike had the most medical knowledge, she asked him to go with Andy. Besides that, she was tired of not getting the full story, and she knew Mike would at least give her that, if not too much information.

"Sure, Captain," he told her. "I'll call you with an update when I know anything."

"Thank you," she said and walked over to the stretcher where they were just checking Andy before they took him out.

"I think I remember another incident where I sent you off in an ambulance," she said to him, not sure what else to say.

He grunted and sighed, "How is it that I feel almost worse now than I did when I was stabbed?"

"Probably shock," she sighed. "Then, you were in shock and passed out. Now, you are just too stubborn for your own good and came back to work instead of going home to rest."

"I've always been stubborn," he said.

"Hmm, yes, I've noticed," she agreed and crossed her arms. She looked to the paramedic while Provenza gathered Andy's jacket and wallet, both items had been dropped by his desk. "Mike is going to go with you, and he'll update us on things. I can call Nicole if you like."

"Ahh, no," he shook his head and grimaced. "She's out of town, a conference for work. I don't want to bother her, either of the kids. Neither are here to do anything, and I don't want them to worry. I'm sure I'll be okay. I'm just in pain, and my ribs are killing me."'

"Fine, I won't call Nicole, but do not give instructions to Mike to hide what is really going on," she looked to him sternly.

"Fine," he sighed. "I just didn't want you to worry; I didn't want anyone to worry."

"Yet, here we are," Sharon frowned.

"Captain, we're going to head out now," the paramedic looked to her. Sharon nodded, and they wheeled Andy away with Mike following. Provenza walked up to her as they left.

"He's going to be fine," Provenza told her as he patted her shoulder. She nodded. "Hard to not worry, I know," he nodded. "Let's finish the case, and you and I can head to the hospital to check on the idiot."

Three hours later with the case closed and paperwork to be done in the morning, Sharon and Provenza sent the team home for the night and drove to the hospital. He followed her, which was almost a relief; she didn't want to ride in the car and discuss Andy with anyone. Mike had updated them often; Andy had been sent for more tests, and it looked like he would be released.

"Mike, how is he?" Sharon asked as she and Provenza walked up to him at the entrance. Provenza had called Mike as they were arriving, and Mike had agreed to meet them at the door.

"He's doing okay," Mike explained. "The doctor is concerned about his ribs, and his breathing is a little off, but that would be from the ribs too. He said initially he didn't have a concussion, but that might be questionable."

"Mike, is he going to live?" Provenza ended the detailed report and looked to him.

Mike patted Provenza's arm, which caused Provenza to glare at him, "Your partner in crime will make a full recovery, no worries." Mike gestured down the hall, "He's this way, and he's just ready to go home. He's been, well," he shrugged, "less than pleasant."

"Well, that's nothing new," Provenza huffed. Sharon chuckled as she shook her head. The three arrived at the bay where Andy was still being worked up in the ER. He looked to all of them.

"Oh, please tell me I've been released and can go home. Wait, did you solve the case?" Andy asked.

"Flynn! Stop talking and just rest. None of us want to be here tonight," Provenza complained. Jus then the doctor walked back in the area.

"Ahh, Mr. Flynn," he said as he studied the paperwork. The doctor glanced up at the group now gathered. "Hi, I need to speak to my patient here for a moment."

"Doc," Andy waved, "it's fine. We all work together. Can I go home now?"

"You need supervision and really some basic care. I'm concerned about you being on your own, and you told me you live alone," he stated.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Nothing I can't handle," he grimaced as he shifted in the bed. The doctor turned to the three.

"I'd really like to send Mr. Flynn home with someone, that, or he's going to need to stay here overnight for observation. I'm not comfortable sending him home alone tonight."

Andy looked to Provenza quickly. "Don't look at me!" Provenza exclaimed. "You've been listening to my rants the past few days about Patrice remodeling the guest room. Right now, there is no guest room. There's a room with four or five paint samples painted on the walls. She got rid of my college bedroom set and said we were going to update. I have nowhere for you to stay."

Andy closed his eyes and sighed. "He can stay with me," everyone heard Sharon say quietly. They all turned to her, and she shook her head. "I'm not going to let him stay here overnight. Doctor, he can stay at my place. I'll have Rusty there to help as well," she nodded to Provenza and Mike.

"Captain, I can call my wife and figure out something," Mike offered as he started to pull out his phone.

"Mike, no, really, it's fine," Sharon waved him off with one hand. She looked to Andy, "I think we can be adult enough to get through the evening?"

"Captain, last thing we need is to respond to a domestic issue," Provenza sighed and looked to her.

"Lieutenant," she offered a forced smile, "thank you, but Andy needs a place to stay, and we would all like to see him on the road to recovery and back to work." She turned to the doctor, "Doctor, he can stay at my home with my son and me. Please let me know what instructions you have."

Ten minutes later, Sharon stepped out of the room to alert Rusty to their bed and breakfast situation. She was relieved when Rusty volunteered his room. She had wanted to ask him, but she knew it was asking a lot. After she got off the phone with Rusty, she took a deep breath before turning to go back in the room. It was one night; she could handle Andy at the condo for one night. Provenza and Mike had already offered to follow her home to get Andy upstairs. After that, it was just a few hours. Andy needed care and supervision for a few hours, and she'd survived worse.


	15. Chapter 15

She stood in the doorway of Rusty's room with her arms crossed, head tilted against the door frame, and she listened. He was snoring softly, Andy that is, as Rusty was out on the living room couch, also sound asleep. It was now 4:00 AM, and Sharon had slept maybe two hours, if that at all. She had awakened in a panic, thinking something had happened, that she'd heard Andy trying to move around, and then she realized she must have been dreaming. He was asleep for now. She grimaced as she thought about how he'd feel when he finally got up in the morning. She knew he would be in a lot of pain, and she didn't have much to offer him, not that he would take anything or really fill any prescriptions from the hospital. Before they had left the hospital, that had been a discussion, a slightly heated one with his doctor. Andy had only agreed to basic pain meds, over the counter ones; everything else, he was unwilling to take. His doctor had handed Sharon the written prescriptions for stronger things if Andy couldn't tolerate the pain later. Sharon had thanked him, but she'd tucked away the paperwork, knowing he wouldn't fill it. He was afraid of compromising his sobriety.

Sharon continued to listen to him snore, and she shook her head at just how stubborn he was. Of course, she wasn't much better, but the ride home and trip into the condo had been interesting. He'd ridden with Provenza from the hospital to the condo. Mike had offered to ride with Sharon, and then, Provenza was going to take him back to work to get his car. Sharon sighed loudly now at the absurdity of it all. Any other time, Andy would have gladly ridden in her car, but things had become such a mess, she wasn't even sure which was up anymore. Andy was probably worried Sharon was irritated enough would throw him from the car, as had already been done to him that day, and Sharon was struggling with the idea of just how worried she was for Andy. After they arrived at the condo, Andy had argued with Provenza and Mike as they tried to help him upstairs, but he did need the help. Sharon had carried his jacket with his wallet and keys upstairs. The ride in the elevator had been a long one, a very long one. The surprise, at least to Andy, had been the bag with his personal items. Sharon had sent Rusty to Andy's house to pick up a few things. She chuckled to herself now as she imagined Rusty digging around for pajamas, personal items, and toiletries. She knew where the spare key was, and that had been very helpful for Rusty. In the condo, Provenza and Mike ushered Andy into Rusty's bedroom, where his suitcase had been left open for him on the bed. He'd argued about the situation again, that he would be fine alone, but none of the adults had even cared to argue with him by then. Provenza and Mike checked in with Sharon before they left.

"Captain, are you sure you don't want one of us to stay?" Provenza asked her when he and Mike walked back into the living room. Sharon had already walked out there with Rusty, where she had quickly explained what the doctor had said. Now, the two were there to talk to Provenza and Mike before they left. Andy was using the bathroom, something she'd heard him argue about doing on his own before the men let him be.

"We will be fine," she nodded to the men. Rusty is all set here for the night," she gestured to the couch. "Andy will hopefully get some sleep, and we will see what tomorrow brings."

"You're not planning to bring him to work, are you?" Mike asked.

"No, I will take the day tomorrow and make sure Andy is getting back on his feet. I'm hoping neither of you mentioned the doctor wanted him watched for at least a couple days?" she looked at them with a questionable glance.

The men shook their heads, and Provenza answered, "We didn't tell him anything. He thinks he's going to be here just overnight; we'll let you give him the good news, that the doc wants him here tomorrow too, until his appointment the day after that. Now, we'll take care of everything at work. If it becomes too much, one of us can come and sit with him tomorrow."

"Like a Flynn sitter," Rusty grinned.

"We can get through the day," Sharon nodded. "I'll work here from home."

"Captain, call us before we hear of a domestic call on the police scanner," Provenza smirked at her. "Flynn's not fun when he's sick. Trust me. Add to that the," he gestured with his hand in the air, "well, whatever issues you two still have, well, that's recipe for disaster."

Sharon gave him an almost fake smile, and she looked at the two men, "Lieutenant, I've been around when Andy is sick. I know how he is. As for the other, as I said, we can get through the day."

"We'll get out of your hair then, Captain," Mike nodded. "If you have any medical questions, call me, or I suppose Patrice," he looked to Provenza with that as a question. Provenza just nodded, and the two walked to the front door.

"Thank you both for your help. It's much appreciate," Sharon nodded.

"We're all a team, Captain," Mike gave her a small smile. "Try to get some rest. Night, Rusty," he nodded to him. Rusty gave both me a small wave, and Sharon locked up and turned back to Rusty.

"Thank you for your help tonight. I know the last thing you wanted to do was to dig around in Andy's clothing," she gave him a small smile.

He made a disgusted face, "I know you've done a lot for me over the years, so with me just digging in the lieutenant's personal items, let's call it even now." Sharon laughed as she walked to him and gave him a small hug.

"I do appreciate it. He's really hurt. It's going to take him some time to recover," she pulled back to look Rusty in the eye. He just nodded. "No matter what, I can't just leave him to care for himself."

"So, like, he's staying here until he's better?" he asked.

"No, not that long, but long enough to go to his own doctor. The ER doctor wanted him to rest tomorrow and then see his own provider the next day. Tomorrow, I'll have him call to get an appointment, and after that, he'll still be bruised and sore, but he should be able to go home. With his having dizzy spells and barely able to move on his own, it's not a good idea for him to be alone," Sharon explained.

Rusty just nodded and looked at the floor. Sharon squeezed his arm, but before she turned to head down the hall, Rusty spoke again, "He's like done some remodeling or something."

"I'm sorry," she asked with a questionable expression. She wasn't following Rusty's train of thought.

"He had all new bedroom furniture," Rusty nodded. "Like, it's brand new because some of it still had like the furniture tags on the knobs."

Sharon closed her eyes and sighed. She just nodded instead of speaking, and she looked to him again. "Thank you again, Rusty. Get some sleep."

"I will, and I probably won't be home until late. I've got the meeting with my advisor at 8:00, all my classes, and then I have my study group. The semester is rough already."

"Just let me know if you'll be home for dinner," she said as she stood outside her bedroom door.

"Maybe I'll check in the Lieutenant Provenza first and make sure you weren't hauled away for a domestic dispute," he smirked.

"Such a funny guy," she made a face at him. "Watch it, or I'll send you back to Andy's house for more clothing.

"Oh, no," he can just use the washing machine here," Rusty pointed to the room off the kitchen. "I'm not doing that again."

"Goodnight, Rusty," Sharon said firmly. She turned off the living room light and walked toward Rusty's room. She'd heard Andy move from the bathroom back into Rusty's room while she was still talking to Mike and Provenza, and when she reached his room, Andy was already asleep. He looked uncomfortable, not fully on the bed. She moved his feet so they were at least on the mattress and not dangling off the side of the bed. She also put a blanket over him, as he hadn't even pulled back the covers, and then she turned off the light. She would check on him again before going to bed herself.

Now, here it was, 4:00 AM, scratch that, now 4:15 AM, and Sharon was checking on Andy for at least the fourth time that night. She felt like she had a newborn again; it took her back to the first days at home with a new baby. She was nervous, but this time, she was nervous Andy would injure himself even more with any movement at all. With a faint light shining from the hall light, she glanced to him and saw he looked somewhat peaceful. So, she sighed and turned to go back to her room.

"Care to tell me what's so fascinating about watching an old guy sleep?" he grumbled as she turned toward her room. She stopped and turned back around and walked into the room.

"You're awake," she said as she walked around to the side of the bed to face him. She pulled on Rusty's desk chair and sat down so she was at least almost even with his face. He cracked an eye open as she did so.

"I'm awake, and you're sighing at the door. Hard to sleep when I feel like I've been in a boxing match, and my chest lost," he coughed as he spoke. Sharon looked around and saw a bottle of water she'd grabbed for him one of the other times she'd checked on him. She opened it and gestured toward him with it. There was just enough light from the hall for Andy to see it.

"Would you like some water? I'll help you sit up slightly if you need it," she gestured to him.

He coughed again, "Yeah, actually, my throat is really dry. He shifted in the bed some and groaned as he moved up slightly to get into more of a seated position. Sharon jumped up to grab his arm and help him. "Thank you." She helped him with the water, and when he nodded, she put it back on the desk.

"How is your pain? You can take more over the counter medication now if you need it. If you are in pain at all, I think you should," she noted.

"Yeah, fine," he grimaced again. "This pain is awful."

"I'll get you some pain medicine, but let me get my glasses first," Sharon explained. "I'm sure you don't want to end up taking my vitamins instead. That wouldn't exactly help in the situation." She moved quickly toward the doorway and heard Andy try to chuckle at her joke. She returned a few moments later to find he'd almost sat completely upright against the headboard.

"I would have helped you, you stubborn man," she sighed.

"I can do it on my own," he told her. "Bad enough I have to have help at all, and the last thing I wanted to do was drag you into this," he sighed as he nodded and took the meds from her.

"What, my care isn't up to par?" she said, now irritated. "I'll happily drive you to Provenza's house where you can sleep on his 30-year-old couch."

"No!" he exclaimed and then hissed as he grabbed his side. He was getting worked up and needed to remember he was in pain. "I didn't mean that at all. Obviously, I get better care here than anywhere else. Anyone knows that. It's just with," he sighed and took a deep breath, "I know this is the last thing you want to do. It's also a lot more, well, I guess an invasion of your personal space to be here. I know you keep your private life private. I've barely been here when you are in your yoga pants and a baggy sweater, and yet, here I am, at the worst pajama party ever."

Sharon's eyes grew wide, as she realized he was aware enough to notice she was in her pajamas. She pulled at her robe, and then she rolled her eyes, realizing how ridiculous this all was. She was presentable in her two-piece pajama pant set with her robe over it. Sadly, Andy was true, that in all the years, she'd always tried to be almost dressed up around him.

"See," he gestured his hand at her when she started to mess with her robe, "I'm invading your personal space."

"You are not invading my personal space," she sighed and drooped her hands. She sat back down in the chair to talk to him. "Andy, no matter what, I'm not going to send you home alone when you are this injured."

He rolled his head to the side to look at her, "I appreciate you helping me tonight. I will thank Rusty tomorrow. I'm guessing you sent him to get my clothing?"

"Hmm, I wasn't sure you were alert enough to realize your clothing had been brought here," she said.

"Yeah, I know I was out of it, now just in pain. Look, I also know this situation isn't easy," he sighed.

"No," she nodded, "but overdue. We've needed to talk, but I haven't wanted to talk, if I am being honest."

"Do you want to talk now?" he asked.

"It's 4:30 in the morning," she noted. "I think any conversation would be better closer to dawn."

He groaned and then grabbed his side, "I'm just the same washed up drunk who continues to make life-altering mistakes. I don't think, and that ruins anything good in my life. Story of my life, has been for decades."

"Hmm, well, nice to meet you," she pursed her lips and continued, "I suppose I then am relationship idiot who refuses to let anyone in for fear of further rejection. When I have let people in, Jack for one, I allowed him to walk all over me and do whatever he wanted. I refused to address it head on with him and instead almost hid from that. It took me over 20 years to fully address it. I am horrible with relationships, with communicating, and when I have something good right in front of me, I inevitably let it crash and burn, or even if that good thing is a divorce from a man who has cheated on me and walked out on me, I, too, let the idea of that crash and burn for decades, while I try to convince myself that everything is okay. I'm effective at work, good at making professional decisions, but I absolutely cannot do it in my personal life, never until it's too late, and then I often make the wrong decision."

Andy nodded as he listened to her, "You've done some thinking."

Sharon sat back in the chair, sighed, and she crossed her arms. Andy still had his head turned to the side and was looking at her. He hadn't moved much; it hurt too much to move.

"It's late," she changed topics for now. "I'd say we both have plenty to say, plenty to yell and scream, and now isn't the time to do that. You're loaded on meds, and I haven't slept," she said as she continued to sit there with her arms crossed. She shifted in the uncomfortable chair and put her feet on the edge of the bed.

He eyed her, "You haven't slept? Why doesn't that surprise me? Sharon, get some sleep. I'm not worth that."

"At least you dropped the captain nonsense outside of work," she rolled her eyes.

"At least you are speaking to me and not just through issuing work orders," he snapped.

She sighed, "This is what I don't want to do at now, 4:40 in the morning," she said as she glanced at Rusty's clock.

He nodded, "You're right, and I'm sorry. Truce?" She nodded too, agreeing with him, and then she continued to sit there with her arms crossed.

"Go to bed," he said with a firm tone.

"I was told you need care and supervision; I'm doing that right here," she stared back at him as she gestured to her chair.

"You're going to sit there in that uncomfortable chair? You call that rest?" he rolled his eyes. He sighed and closed his eyes. When he opened them, she was still there in the same position. He reached for her foot on the side of the bed. She started to pull it back toward the chair when he touched it.

"My foot is fine, thank you," she uttered.

"Oh, come on," he sighed. "One thing I know about you, your feet are always freezing. When nothing else works, you finally start to relax when I rub your feet. It's worked plenty of times before; you always end up falling asleep." She glared at him, and yet, she didn't say anything. She perched her feet on the edge of her chair. "Sharon, it's called being a friend. You can hover al you want. Least I can do is use my good arm and rub your foot. It doesn't even hurt on that side of my ribs," he smirked.

"My feet are just fine, right here," she told him.

"Yeah, because that looks comfortable. Go back to your bed. You're exhausted, and you haven't slept."

"I'll be fine right here," she said.

The room grew quiet as the tension seemed to mount. Andy folded his hands over his chest. He closed his eyes, fully aware Sharon was still curled up in the chair staring at him. A few minutes went by, and he was almost asleep when he heard her shift in the chair and felt a slight shift on the bed. He desperately wanted to crack open an eye, but he counted out another two minutes in his head. He then opened one eyelid, slowly, and he saw Sharon, still sitting in the chair, arms crossed, but her feet were back on the edge of the bed. She was propped up for her night watch, but at least she'd stretched out again. He closed his eye again and dropped his arm to his side, noting this was the closest he'd been to Sharon in weeks. At some point, both finally drifted off to sleep again.


	16. Chapter 16

She heard the shuffle coming down the hall and took a deep breath. Sharon turned from the stove and walked around the corner. She grimaced when she saw how slowly Andy was moving and how pale he looked when he glanced up at her.

"Would you like a hand?" Sharon asked as he continued his shuffle.

He put his hand up to indicated he was fine, and he looked up at her. "I'm okay," he said with a short breath. He paused and coughed, and Sharon rolled her eyes as she took a step toward him. "I said I was fine," he coughed again.

"Oh, for," she bit her lip and took an even deeper breath before she reached for his hand. He stuffed it in his pocket, and she quickly looped her arm through his instead. "You don't have to be so stubborn," she tugged on his arm as the two tried to continue walking. It was at least a bit of luck that Andy had already walked by Sharon's bedroom door and had made his way to the open area of the condo when Sharon took his arm because the hallway was too narrow for her to have walked side by side with him. She felt Andy lean into her more than he had when she had originally taken his arm, so she knew that even if he wouldn't admit it, he was glad for the assistance. "I would have come to help you had you asked for it."

"Not to worry," he coughed again as they continued to shuffle and then he spoke again, "I wouldn't want you using that spatula of yours as a weapon," he nodded to her free hand where she didn't realize she was still holding it.

"I was making breakfast," she rolled her eyes, "which I need to make sure doesn't burn."

"By all means, I don't want to be the cause of burned breakfast," he coughed again, and they finally reached the table. She pulled out a chair for him, and he struggled to sit. His ribs hurt, and he grabbed his side. She gripped his hand as he sat, and she could tell by his tight grip that he was in serious pain.

"Are you in a lot of pain?"she said with concern as she lowered herself into the chair adjacent to his.

"Fine," he grunted and waved at her spatula. "Breakfast? You didn't want it to burn."

"I'd rather not have you fall. Breakfast can be redone; an officer down in my living room is not how I want to start the day," she enunciated as she angled her head to meet his gaze. His eyes met hers, and he sighed.

"I'm sorry," he nodded. "I know I'm short when I don't feel well."

"I'm sorry too. I know how you are when you don't feel well. Perhaps we both should start the morning again," she suggested. "I suppose I got up on the wrong side of the bed."

He raised an eye at her, "From where I was, you didn't get up on any side of the bed. You slept in a chair, a stupid uncomfortable chair just for kicks. I'm a grown man, and it's ridiculous you sacrificed your sleep to keep some watch over me."

"You ended up in my home because as a middle-aged man, you thought jumping on a moving car was a good idea!" Sharon fired back, and the two grew silent as they stared at one another.

He looked to the ground, almost embarrassed that he'd been short with her. He looked up and saw she was awaiting an answer. He changed tactics. He nodded to her feet, "You're wearing socks."

"My feet were cold,"she replied instantly.

"You never wear socks at home," he raised his eyebrows. He continued to look at her, and when she didn't comment, but just looked away, he noticed more. "You're still in your pajamas."

"I haven't had a shower. I didn't want to wake you, and besides, I am often in my pajamas in my own home," she crossed her arms. He raised his eyebrows at her, "Fine, I haven't been up long myself, and I haven't showered because I didn't want to wake you-that part is true, as is the part that, yes, you are correct -I rarely stay in my pajamas after I wake up, but this is an exception."

Sharon's expression changed to horror, and she jumped up quickly, realizing she still had her spatula in hand. "Anything I can help you with in there? Burn something?" Andy asked, clutching his side as he spoke. Their conversation was odd; one moment they were firing insults, and the next, they were almost concerned about the other.

"No, everything is fine," she sighed.

Andy tried to laugh, "It doesn't sound like it."

"Laughing about your burning omelet isn't helping," she sighed as she dumped it into the sink. "I burned it helping you."

"I'm sorry, really. I'm not laughing at you, but at you just not being real. Everything isn't fine," he told her. "Why do you always feel like you have to put on a show or be perfect around me? Why can't you just talk to me, just say whatever needs to be said?"

Sharon looked at him over the rim of her glasses, and she shook her head, deciding not to speak. Andy saw her turn back to the stove, and he heard her cracking eggs again. He sat quietly, wishing the morning could start over again. The two were quiet for the next few minutes, and Andy's pain was strong enough that he propped his elbows on the table, put his head into his folded hands, and he closed his eyes. He felt her presence several moments later as she nudged a plate onto the table.

He looked up and met her concerned face. He moved his arms so she could move the plate in front of him. "Thank you," he said and gave her a sad, yet genuine smile. "I'm sorry I was laughing earlier and about what I said."

"Hmm," she nodded as she put down her own plate and sat in her chair again. "I''m sorry I started off on the wrong foot. I didn't get much sleep, but I won't take that out on you. You didn't say anything that wasn't true. I haven't been an innocent party in all this."

Andy turned to her and just watched. He knew he could start eating, but he wanted her to look at him before he did. She continued to fiddle with her napkin, not wanting to meet the stare she could feel coming from him. She cleared her throat and without meeting his eyes, gestured for him to start eating. He crossed his arms instead and let out a hiss as he did so. "Why is this so hard!" Andy exclaimed and closed his eyes momentarily in pain. "This shouldn't be so hard. It's all so messed up. I go over and over in my mind all the time, wishing for anything I hadn't asked you out to dinner. We wouldn't be in any of this mess. If that had been the case, right now, we'd be sitting here eating a decent breakfast talking about what a stupid idiot I was to jump on that car. I'd take this injury all over again if I knew I could just sit here with my friend Sharon and relax over breakfast and not be so absolutely miserable at every single decision and moment since that day!" Andy dropped his head and shook it.

Sharon stood and walked to the sink. She turned away from Andy toward the wall of her kitchen. She crossed her arms, and he heard her let out a long sigh. Andy moved his chair to get up, and that sound of his chair had her spin around toward him. "Do not get out of that chair!"

"Don't walk away then," he snapped back at her.

Sharon pursed her lips and just nodded. She walked back to the table, and she put her hand on it as she lowered herself into her chair. She offered a sympathetic glance at him as she finally met his gaze.

"Thank you for calling me out for running away," she said with a forced whisper.

"Thank you for coming back," he nodded to her, and to lighten the mood at the moment, which he knew was needed, knowing Sharon as well as he did, he said, "of course, if that was running, even Provenza runs better than that. You probably didn't hear he ran yesterday when the car threw me."

Sharon burst out with a sob, the stress finally hitting her. She put her head in her hands, and she let out a few sobs before she reached for her napkin. Andy let out a long sigh, knowing just talking was going to be a hard step. When she calmed herself, she wiped her eye with one hand, and she put her hand on the table to almost brace herself. Andy reached for it at that moment and just gave it a single squeeze. He pulled his hand back before she could pull it away. She didn't move it, but he sat back and put his hands in his lap to give her space.

The two were silent a moment, and then Andy gave her a small smile. She raised her eyes and tried to look to her plate. Andy looked to his and picked up his fork. "Thank you for breakfast," he tried to start over with her.

"It's ruined; what I didn't burn, it's cold. Cold eggs are awful," she sighed at him. "You're injured, and I have messed up every moment of the morning all because I'm mad. I'm so mad at everything. You almost were killed yesterday, and I can't turn my neck because of that stupid chair from last night. My feet froze all night. I'm tired, and the last thing I want to do is deal with our personal issues. I also can't stand going on and on like this because I'm completely miserable, and I don't know what I want. So much of this I brought on, I know."

"You had help," he nodded and pointed to himself as he continued, "Injured idiot sparring for a fight from the moment I stepped out of Rusty's bed. I ruined everything, and I don't just mean breakfast this morning. I've ruined years of hard work, the foundation we'd set for any sort of relationship . I ruined us, and I ruined even things at work. The team hates me; you hate me, and I hate myself. Nicole finally is talking to me again, and all I want to do is turn back time because I was an awful person and hurt the one person I never wanted to hurt. I lost your trust, and I lost your friendship, all because I," he threw up his hands, "I don't even know! That's the problem. I don't even know why I did what I did. I thought I wanted to get back at you for hurting me so badly, and maybe I did, but what was I thinking? I hate myself, and it's a constant struggle to just get through the day because I hate what I've become. I've not only let you down, but I've let myself down. I thought I had become a better man," he finally took a deep breath and ran his hand over his hair.

The two descended into silence as they processed what had been said. Sharon lowered the fork she hadn't even realized she had in her hand. "I think we need to step back and change direction this morning. We are both completely exhausted. You're injured, and we both have a lot to say. Now, we're both hungry, and cold eggs are not going to help. It doesn't help that I'm a terrible cook anyway."

He rolled his eyes, "You are not a terrible cook. Why don't you let me cook something while you get a shower?" he suggested.

She rolled her eyes, "You're here because of your injury. You've been dizzy, and you can barely stand without clutching your side in pain. You are going to go and get a hot shower, not cook breakfast. I'm going to start with something besides eggs; eggs aren't helping today."

"I don't even like eggs," Andy grumbled.

Sharon eyed him, "Omelets are your favorite. I know you that well. Why do you think I made them?"

"You hate them," he sighed. "I know why you made them. Just more proof that I'm a total jerk. I know you hate omelets, and I didn't even thank you for making something I enjoy eating."

Sharon stood and grabbed both plates. She walked to the trash can and dumped the contents of both plates into the trash. Andy watched as she put the plates on the counter, and he sighed. He moved and pushed back his chair to stand. Sharon moved, helped him up, and she looked to him.

"Do you need me to walk you down the hall?" Sharon asked him.

"No, I feel better than when I first got up," he told her.

Sharon wanted to argue, to suggest that Andy let her help, but instead, she changed her course. "I'll start the shower just so you aren't reaching too much. There are already towels out for you," she said.

He nodded, and then he pointed at her, "Do not make breakfast." She eyed him suspiciously, and he continued, "No breakfast until we both have taken showers and dressed for the day. We are going to start with a clean slate, at least clean clothes and the like. Breakfast can wait," he told her.

"You're injured; you need to eat," she tried.

"Sharon," he said sternly, and she raised her eyes and then just nodded.

"Compromise?' she offered. He looked to her, waiting to her her offer. "Toast and fruit," she said. "I'll change for now and shower after we eat. I'm concerned about your health. You shower, and we can have toast and fruit when you finish. We will keep the conversation light-no talk of this utter mess, and after all is said and done, and we are both ready for the day, we can continue to hash this out."

"I've always come out okay with your deals," he admitted. "We've got all day before I go home."

"About that," Sharon made a face, and she looked to the ground. When she looked up, he knew she had more to say and could tell it wasn't what he wanted to hear. "The deal needs to extend through tomorrow, no negotiation."


	17. Chapter 17

Sharon almost ran into Andy as he opened the bathroom door. "Oh, I was just about to ask if you needed any help in there?"

He eyed her, "Really, because it looks like you are perched outside my door, waiting for me to fall. Either that, or you were hoping to sneak a peek."

She rolled her eyes, "I just wanted to see if you needed help in the bathroom. I was worried you would fall in the shower. Do you need any help?"

"Do you?" he threw her a suggestive grin, and she eyed him.

"I'll take it that you can find your own way back to the kitchen," she huffed as she turned and walked down the hall.

"Come on, Sharon-that was a little funny," he tried to chuckle.

Sharon turned and glared at him as she rounded the corner to the kitchen. Andy sighed and started down the hall, his walking much slower than hers as he tried not to groan in pain. When he reached the kitchen, he looked to the table and eyed the spread.

"You didn't have to go to so much trouble, now twice," he told her.

"You need to eat," she simply said. She nodded to the table, "Sit, please."

Andy sat and nodded to her, "You need to sit and eat as well," he gestured. Sharon finished pouring two glasses of orange juice, put the juice away, and she brought them to the table. "Thank you for suggesting I get a shower. I feel a lot better."

She nodded as she sat, and she looked to him, "Good. I'm glad that helped. I'm sorry you are in pain. I can't imagine how sore you are."

He sighed, and the two started to eat. "Really, I'm sorry about the omelets. You didn't need to hard boil some eggs, make toast, and slice all this fruit."

She shrugged, "I need my lieutenant back to work."

"That's all," he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Andy, of course, I don't like seeing you injured," she put her napkin down and turned to him. "I care about you."

He looked a bit surprised, but he let that hang. He really did know she cared, but the question remained if that was all-a simple caring of a friend, a colleague, or was there anything more, anything left. He tried a different tactic. "You changed too. Sorry I hogged your shower, but if it makes a difference, I like you without makeup."

She frowned slightly as she looked at him, "Without makeup? No one looks good, especially at my age, without makeup. No one," she reiterated.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," he said quietly and turned back to his breakfast.

"I went out on a date," she blurted out not more than a few seconds later. It surprised Andy so much that he dropped his fork. It clattered on the plate before it bounced to the table and onto the floor. He started to lean down to get it, but Sharon moved quickly, somewhat embarrassed by what she'd said, but also to save Andy from moving when he was injured.

When she sat back up and tried to subtly look his way, she waited for any reaction. Andy stood, and Sharon thought he was going to walk away. Instead, he retrieved a new fork from the drawer, a move Sharon noted, that he didn't even have to look around her kitchen because he knew the drawer and went right to it. He returned to the table and sat. She sat, patiently, and she waited for him to speak. He didn't. He started to eat again.

Sharon couldn't take the silence any longer. "Well?"

"Well, what?" he shrugged it off. "Your life, I suppose. That's what you want, what more should I say?"

She watched his reaction, and she thought about saying more. She didn't know what to say. She wanted him to be jealous, but that was silly too because she'd turned him down. She'd had a perfect good suitor, no, check that, an amazingly wonderful, kind, loving man in her life who wanted her, sitting right in front of her now, and she'd said no. She was the idiot, and here she was trying to almost set up things for a reaction. She had started this whole thing in motion, and now, she was making it worse.

Instead, she cleared her throat and tried to find out more information. "Are you, I mean, well, are you dating or planning to anytime?"

He tilted his head at her, gave her a look of pure insanity, and sighed, "Honest answer-I don't know."

Thankfully, the phone rang, and Andy dug it out of his pocket. "My doctor," he said, and Sharon nodded, relieved for the change of topic. "I called the office before I got in the shower, and they needed to call me back. Excuse me," he nodded to her.

Sharon tried to force her breakfast down, and she ate quickly while Andy talked to his doctor. She cleared her plate as he finished. He looked up at her, "So, they can see me first thing. That's why they had to call back, something about moving around patients. It seems I'm high maintenance," he rolled his eyes.

Sharon nodded and furiously scrubbed her plate. She was really frustrated. The talk she wanted to have, they weren't having. It felt all wrong. She didn't know how to fix it, which was silly because she could talk to anyone. She could sit across from serial killers without batting an eye, but sitting adjacent to Andy Flynn had her a mess.

"I can take you to your appointment on the way to work," she offered. "That way, we'll know what is going on with regards to work," she offered.

"I'll have Provenza take me," he told her. "Guy already texted me four times today. He won't admit he's worried, so I'll tell him to take me. I know it's hard being the boss and not being at work for you."

"It's not a bother," she finished scrubbing her plate; it was probably the cleanest thing in the condo now. She walked back over and took Andy's plate when he offered it to her.

"Well, offering up the condo here to stay is more than enough. I've bothered you enough, even if you won't say it," he sighed. He started to stand and let out a loan groan from the pain. Sharon raced over to help him, the concern evident on her face.

"I can take care of your needs if we get you to bed," she told him. He raised his eyebrows at her, aware of what she was trying to say, but Andy couldn't let her off the hook with her awkward phrasing.

Sharon saw Andy's almost amused expression, and she paused, trying to figure out what had him looking at her like that. She played her last phrasing over in her mind, and then her eyes grew wide in a panic. "I mean, if you want to lie down, you know from the pain, I'll get whatever you need. I can get pain medicine, something to drink, ahh, whatever," she sighed. She stepped away, suddenly feeling that even helping the man from potentially falling, was doing too much.

"I'm fine, Sharon," he sighed. "I think I'll sit on your couch, unless I'm bothering you. I know this isn't easy, so I can stay back in Rusty's room if you just want some space. I don't want to get in the way, so if you have calls to make, plans to-well, whatever," he waved his hand, and he started toward Rusty's room.

"Andy, sit on that couch," she gestured. "We can just watch a movie or something," she waved at the television. Andy nodded and moved toward the couch. He slowly lowered himself on the couch while Sharon put the last of the dishes in the dishwasher. She poured Andy a glass of cranberry juice and collected a glass of water for herself before she took them and put them on the coffee table. With Andy's injury, she took a seat in the orange chair. He eyed her.

"Do you need a blanket or anything? Please, relax and just rest."

"I'm willing to share the couch if you don't want to sit in that chair. We both know they aren't comfortable, even if you love them," he rolled his eyes.

"I'm fine; I'm worried about you," she told him. She turned on the television, and after searching for a couple of minutes, they found an old movie neither one would admit they'd enjoyed together the first time they'd watched it. After settling into the movie, Sharon glanced over and noticed Andy had fallen asleep, which she was glad he'd done. The man had some serious injuries, and he needed his rest. She waited a few more minutes to not disturb him, and then she stood and moved to her desk. She left the movie on in the background, and while it continued, she opened her laptop and got to work. Andy ended up sleeping for almost two hours, during which, Sharon got a lot of work done from home. She was able to send several emails and took care of business with Provenza via text and email. She was also able to finally get her shower and dress for the day. She kept her makeup to a minimum, a move she tried to justify to herself, as needing to check on Andy and not be too long in the bathroom. Sharon returned to her desk and found him still sleeping. She opened her laptop and worked for another 20 minutes until she noticed he was starting to stir.

Andy woke and started looking around the room. She stood and moved over toward him where she perched on the edge of the couch.

"You slept almost two hours," she explained. He ran his hand over his face and blinked a few times to wake himself up to address her.

"Sorry about that," he sighed.

"No, no," she shook her head. "I'm glad you slept."

"Hmm, just more awkward conversation time avoided," he told her. "I need to get up and move around some. Doc's office said it was good for me to loosen up if I could."

Sharon stood, and she offered her hand, "Come on; I'll help you up. Why don't you freshen up, and we can take a walk just to the end of my block? There is that good coffee shop there. I know you love some of their coffees."

Andy paused for a moment, trying to decide if that was a good idea. Finally, with no better suggestion or plan, he nodded, and he took Sharon's hand and allowed her to help him stand. She stepped to the side quickly, so he could move down the hall.

"I'll just get my walking shoes, and we can head down there," she called to him. He nodded as he focused on moving down the hall.

Almost 10 minutes later, the two found themselves in the elevator. Andy was moving, albeit, slowly, but he was moving. The silence in the elevator was awkward again, but two floors down, others got on, of course, not before eyeing Andy with his bruised face. Sharon just gave them a small smile and nod.

When they had finally walked outside, to the front of the building, Andy looked up to the sunny sky. "Nice day," he sighed. "It always gets me that the days go on, sometimes gorgeous days like this, even when our personal lives can be a mess."

"I have those same thoughts when we are dealing with a case, that people's lives are ruined while there are others out there having the best day of their lives," she let out a long sigh.

"I've had plenty of those days," he grunted as the two started down the street.

"You and me both," she uttered and then added, "let me know if you need to stop or need some help." Andy just nodded, and the two walked in silence. It took them a few extra minutes, but they made it to the coffee shop. Sharon got Andy situated, and she ordered their drinks. It was calming and unnerving, at the same time, that she didn't have to ask him what he wanted to drink. Once she got the drinks, she sat with him, and they drank them in relative silence as they watched the people milling around the shop.

"Ready to go?" Sharon asked after she noticed Andy had finished his drink. He nodded, and the two slowly made their way back to the condo. When they returned, she helped him to the couch, and she looked to the clock. "Gosh, it's almost lunch. I didn't even think of that when we were out. I can make some soup if that sounds good?"

"I don't want to be trouble," he told her, and Sharon rolled her eyes as she walked to the kitchen.

"I'll make the soup," she said. From there, she called out to him, "Are you feeling any better or worse after the walk?"

"Better," he told her. "I'm surprised, but yeah, a little better." He desperately wanted to say more, but the whole situation was making him uneasy. It had never been this hard to talk to Sharon, and yet, here they were. He didn't say much, but instead, he turned on the tv and found an old baseball game to watch. Sharon didn't seem to mind, as she offered no further conversation from the kitchen. He was lost in the game and in thought and almost didn't notice when she put the tray with the soup down on the coffee table. He eyed her.

She shrugged, "I know," she rolled her eyes and continued, "I fuss at Rusty for eating on the couch. It's different."

He tried to lighten the mood, "What, in old age, I've had enough training to not make a mess?"

Sharon actually laughed at that as she shrugged. She handed him the bowl of soup, and then she took hers. "Something like that."

"So, what's the latest from Ricky?" Andy asked, as he wanted to change the subject and talk about easier things. He knew it was always a good choice, discussing the kids. "Last I heard, he was thinking of changing jobs."

"Oh, right," Sharon nodded. "He's decided to stay with his current company. He went in with the offer, and he walked out with a raise. Now, will he use any of that for a wardrobe update?" she rolled her eyes. "Doubtful. I have decided to blame Jack for that," she offered a slight smile. "Ricky never had him around to see what a suit and tie was all about."

"Ahh," Andy chuckled as he sipped his soup. "At least you have Rusty coming along better in that department."

Sharon glanced up quickly and back to her soup as she spoke, "He's had much better guidance, more help," she added. "Thank you for that."

Andy sighed and put down his bowl. He turned to Sharon, "Sharon, I never wanted this to happen."

She put her bowl down next to his and took a deep breath, "I didn't either. I started this mess. I know that. I just don't know how to fix it."

"I don't either!" he exclaimed. "I can't undo what's been done."

"I can't either!" she exclaimed. "I wish I could go back and say anything differently than what I said."

"Well, what would you have said?" he shouted. "Would you have even said yes? At the heart of all this, that's the real problem here. Yes, I screwed up. People keep telling me it's all in technicalities, that we weren't together, but still, I wish I hadn't done, ahh, that," he spit out the words. "I wish I had just gone home alone. You," he looked to her, "even now, you just said you wish that you could go back and say something different. You didn't say you wish you'd said yes, so what is it? Would you have even said yes?"

A knock at the door stopped everything. Sharon's eyes turned quickly toward it, and both instantly were worried their yelling match had alerted the neighbors. She stood and moved from him quickly. She wasn't sure if she was glad or irritated Provenza was on the other side.

"Food," he nodded to her. "Patrice told me to pick up food she'd ordered for you. I have come with food," he nodded. "It's healthy junk."

"Come in," she said, her voice still shaking. If Provenza had heard them, he didn't indicate he had. He looked to Sharon, and he looked to Andy.

"Captain, if you need to run out for anything, I'll Flynn sit," he smirked at Andy. Andy, whose hair was a mess from running his hands through it in frustration, shook his head at Provenza.

"I'll just get my purse and run to the store," she said quickly. "I think we're about out of basic pain meds." Provenza just watched as she moved quickly, and then she left without another word. Provenza nodded to Andy as he walked toward him.

"So, no domestic call yet. You two are still alive," he said as he sat where Sharon had been sitting.

"Kill me now," Andy groaned and sat back too quickly, as he grimaced in pain.

"What did she do now?" he asked. "Oh wait, she gave you a place to stay, took the day off to stay with you, so what could it be?"

Well, let's see," Andy turned to him, "she blurted out she went on a date."


	18. Chapter 18

Sharon returned to the condo a half hour later and found Provenza still sitting with Andy on the couch. She hadn't needed to go anywhere, well, except for anywhere BUT the condo. She'd walked two blocks over to a small local store to pick up another bottle of basic pain medicine just so she could say she'd done something. Her walk hadn't really helped, and she was now dreading the thought of the rest of the afternoon and evening with Andy. Never, in her time with him the last few years, had that been the case. Their time together usually flew by, Andy often staying well past midnight as they talked and enjoyed tea together, but today, the clock was not budging; it was painful, and she wasn't the one suffering who had been thrown from the car.

The men looked toward Sharon when she returned. She hung up her purse, and she turned toward Provenza, who stood. "Thank you, Lieutenant. I don't want to keep you from work."

Andy stood too, and they both heard him groan as he did. He started down the hall toward the bathroom, and Sharon walked to the kitchen with Provenza hot on her heels.

"You went on a date?" he zeroed in on the current topic, and Sharon's narrowed her eyes at him.

"I did," she said, "well, not just now, but yes, I did. Andy didn't seem interested in that," she shrugged.

He scowled, "You are just as bad as he is with all this relationship nonsense," he nodded to her. "I'm not talking about the actual actions here. I'm talking about the back and forth, the dating and not dating, the emotional roller coaster you've put each other on. It's got to stop!" he exclaimed. "The team is tired of it, and you two are a mess. I used to think the two of you together was a disaster waiting to happen, and now, the opposite is true. You are living the disaster apart, and you need to fix it."

Sharon crossed her arms, "Lieutenant, I am not discussing this with you. My relationship with Andy, or lack thereof," she clarified, and huffed, "is not up for discussion. Any dating I do is my business."

"See," he pointed, "that's where you are wrong. You made it Flynn's business, and that spilled into work."

Sharon pursed her lips, and then she blew up at him, "I don't know how to fix it! I don't think he does either. I don't know what I want, and I'm not sure how to deal with him. It's a mess, and I hate every minute of this."

"Fix it," Provenza instructed her. "You're the smartest person in the LAPD, no doubt about it, and you, of all people, can figure this out. Whatever that means, so be it, but he's miserable, and you're miserable."

They heard Andy start to shuffle down the hall again, so Provenza looked to her and frowned. She stared back at him, no emotion on her face. "Captain, I'll call or text if anything comes up the rest of the day. Flynn, stay out of trouble," he patted Andy's arm as he walked to the door.

"Thank you for the food. Please thank Patrice for me," Sharon told him. He nodded. Sharon followed him and closed the door when he left. She turned and found Andy standing near the couch, arms crossed.

"You couldn't do that this morning," she gestured at him, and he looked to his arms.

"Yeah, doesn't feel like a knife is going through my chest anymore," he told her.

"Hmm, I bought more over the counter pain meds. Would you like some now?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure," he sighed. "Thank you for picking it up," he said and followed her back to the kitchen. She counted out the pills and got him a glass of cranberry juice. Sharon watched as he took his medicine.

"Want to play a board game?" she suggested, not sure how the idea popped in her head. Andy looked surprised as well, and he just nodded.

"Sure, it's been awhile, I suppose," he sighed. He walked to the table and sat down slowly. Sharon walked to the cabinet and took out the game on top. Honestly, she didn't care what they played; they just needed something to pass the time.

"Monopoly, really?" Andy grimaced at the sight of the game. Sharon shrugged too.

"It was the game on top. I haven't played this in a very long time. I'll get something else if you like?"

"No, it's fine," he nodded, and she opened the box. She sighed when she pulled out a piece of notebook paper that was on top of the game board.

"Hmm, I guess this was the last time we played," she said as she handed him the paper. He glanced at it and hummed lightly as he nodded and passed it back to her.

"Ricky gloated that entire evening after he won," Andy let out a low chuckle at the memory.

"Hmm, yes, and he claimed that as the winner, he should get the last of the Christmas cookies," Sharon sighed.

"Christmas last year," he nodded. "We all started playing, what after we ate, around 2:30?"

"Yes," she said quietly as she counted out the money and put the board on the table. "We played until after 9:00 that night. I remember the kids volunteered to do the dishes, and they tried to race through that to get to Radyor Family Christmas Game-a-thon."

"Right," Andy chuckled. "Rusty and I discussed teaming up since we were the two who didn't have that name, said we should create our own game night."

Sharon let out a laugh from the memory too, and she sighed. "That was a nice afternoon."

"It was," Andy nodded. "After that case went so late, and we had that Christmas party at work for you, I remember getting home after 2:00 AM."

"And, yet, somehow, you were here bright-eyed, ready to watch the kids open gifts the next morning at 9:30. I remember Rusty complaining about having to wait for you to get here. He was a little excited about Christmas."

"That, or he was complaining because he was not excited you'd invited me over to share it with your family. With Nicole and Dean out of town, it was nice to have a place to go, people to share the day with, and I'll never forget it," he admitted.

She met his gaze, "I had thought, then, at least, we were more than just anyone to share the day with you. That makes it sound so, don't know," she shook her head.

"Well, I'd thought that too, thought that we were building something, building on our families, but I, at least, misread all the signals," he frowned. He looked to the game board so he didn't have to look at her.

"You know I have had a very difficult adult life in regard to relationships," she started with him. "It wasn't easy dealing with Jack. It did a lot of damage, and then, I finally rid myself of him, and I wasn't good at reading any signs. Then, you sprung that on me, going to a romantic restaurant. I didn't know what to do!"

"Me?" Andy exclaimed, and suddenly the two were arguing again, "I sprung it on you? I'm sorry; forgive me, I didn't realize your divorce was finalized that same morning I asked you to dinner. Oh wait," he paused, "it wasn't. No, your divorce was finalized last year, now, we're closing in on almost a year ago. I didn't pounce or go in for the kill then; I wasn't some jerk trying to swoop in with that kind of emotional baggage still there. No, I've tried to be the supportive friend you've needed. Forgive me for wanting more finally, for wanting to actually date you, for real, not just the kids joking about it, when let's face, it" he paused again and met her gaze, "we both know going to dinner and the movies all the time-that's dating. I have been spending holidays with you and the kids. You come to family dinners with me. We know everything about each other's families. Sharon, we were in it together, you and me. Wait, I was again a jerk because I respected your space and you working through your past that I didn't put the moves on you. No, I have gone slowly, or so I thought, we were going slowly. I finally thought you might be ready to go out with me, just me, Andy. I thought I was the guy you enjoyed spending time with more than anyone, and for just a split second, I thought we might be good together, romantically-you and me, a couple. Of course, you're way out of my league, but I thought that somehow, a classy woman such as you saw something redeemable in a guy like me. I thought we had been good together, and we could be even better. Never mind that for over the last year, I've just wanted to hold your hand and kiss you at the end of the evening, but I've held back because you were still working through things. I didn't know you were disgusted by me."

He sat back and crossed his arms. Sharon had listened and crossed her arms as he spoke. She sat there stone-faced, and when he finished, she started again. "

"You've never disgusted me, not until the morning at your house! I know I hurt you with that, when I turned you down for dinner! I told you I'm terrible at this, at figuring out my romantic life. Then, when I realize I need to fix things, I come to you, and what do I find? I find a young thing prancing around your home. Andy," she sighed. "Your home, a place I've spent a lot of time with you. I can't get that image out of my mind. I don't understand how or why you did that. You claim you want to be with me, and then that? I don't know how to move forward from here. I don't know what to say. I think we keep going in circles. This isn't working," she sighed.

"Oh, seems like you are intent on moving on, just fine now," he started again. "For a woman not sure what is going on with her romantic life, you just drop on me today that you're dating again. Really, Sharon? I've spent the last several years, years, Sharon, by your side, trying to be a good man. You deserve a good man, and I know I could never measure up to it, but suddenly, it's on the table, you just drop the little bomb that you are dating. Well, I hope you are happy with him! Oh wait, do I get to meet him? Is he coming to dinner? I know, just let me look like a total fool when you parade him into the office at work. Let me discover him then. That would be a great comeback, Sharon. All I wanted to do was be with you. You keep asking me why I did what I did, and I don't even know. I was trying to forget you, and somehow, I thought if I had a good time with anyone, well, I'd start the healing process. Fact is, it hurts worse now, and it wasn't a good time at all. It was awful. I'm the washed up drunk I knew I always was, but this time, booze wasn't my product of choice. I chose something even worse in the eyes of us, and then I didn't see it. No, we weren't together; you made that clear, so any other person would say it shouldn't be a big deal. Problem is I was committed to you, or I had wanted to be. Then, I trashed the years I'd waited for you in one stupid night. I think about if the tables were turned, what I'd do, and I don't think I could even look at you. I certainly don't think I'd want to work with you or help you like you are helping me. I don't deserve it, and I know that. You don't know how to move forward, well, neither do I. Yes, we keep circling, and I feel like I'm circling the drain," he sighed.

Sharon, who was looking to the ceiling, looked back at him, "You aren't going to start drinking again. That isn't who you are."

"I can't promise anything! I don't want to do that, but the guilt sometimes is almost too much. I never would have expected I'd fall into bed, and look at what a screw up I was," he threw up his hands.

"Well, I never intended to walk away from a good thing! I didn't even know it was a good thing, or really a thing at all, until I walked away!" Sharon exclaimed.

"You certainly don't seem too worried about it. Dating, Sharon? Are you serious? It's like I don't want to know, but I want to know. Who are you dating?" he exclaimed.

"He's a lawyer!" Sharon exclaimed, which would make him at least older than the girl you had at home!" she snapped.

Andy's eyes grew wide, "Oh, perfect, another lawyer," he nodded. "The first one was such a catch, so try another," he rolled his eyes. "Sure, that's a great idea, much better than some lousy police lieutenant who would give you the world. Oh, wait," he gestured with his hand, "I see how I can be useful. Would you like me to run a background check on him? I know it's against your precious rules for you to do it, but hey, I'm your guy," he flashed a fake smile.

"Hmm," she let out a grumble, "well, when your little friend is picked up for her next crime, we can use him to bail her out!"

"Hey, I'm home!" the two snapped their heads toward the door. Sharon looked to the clock on the wall. Rusty wasn't due home for hours. Sharon started to look to Andy, but he stood slowly, with a slight grimace, and he turned to move toward the balcony. "Sharon?" Rusty asked as he walked around the corner and almost into Andy. "Lieutenant, sorry to say, but you aren't looking much better."

"Yeah, thanks Kid," Andy patted his shoulder. "I'm going to get some air."

Rusty looked to Sharon, who had stood during Andy and Rusty's interaction. She started to put the game away, the game they'd started to set up, but their fight had taken over instead.

"Hey," he called to her, and she nodded without looking. Sharon didn't want him to see the tears or the stress on her face.

"Rusty, you're home early," she nodded.

"Monopoly," he chuckled. "You and the lieutenant have been playing this to keep from killing each other?"

"Hmm, yes, well, it's been a day," Sharon sighed. "I wasn't expecting you until later."

"Yeah, the guys in the study group cancelled. I decided I'd get more studying done here at home than I would there, but if it's a problem, I can go to the library," he gestured to the door.

Sharon, who now felt she could face Rusty, looked to him with a small smile, "It's not a problem at all. This is your home. Study in your room as long as you like. Andy and I will be just fine," she nodded to him.

"Okay," he replied. "Do you want me to make dinner?"

Sharon smiled, and she patted his arm as she moved by him to put the game away, "No, thank you, but it's not necessary. Lieutenant Provenza stopped by earlier with food. Go ahead and eat; I'm not that hungry, but I will see if Andy is."

Rusty nodded and started toward the refrigerator. Sharon looked to the balcony, but before going out there to face Andy again, she decided to take a few moments in her bathroom, the place she could regroup. She washed her face and reapplied her makeup before taking a deep breath and heading to the balcony. She noted Rusty was already eating, his book open, and he wasn't paying much attention to Sharon or Andy for that matter. Andy was standing at the railing, his hands on it, looking out at the city. She slid the door open and then closed as she walked outside. He didn't turn toward her; Sharon was sure he knew who was joining him.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you," he said the moment her hands touched the railing. She stood nearby, but not too close to Andy. It was almost as if the two needed space while they needed to be near each other. "You don't deserve that. I don't like yelling at you. It took me back to your days in FID, and even then, I hated myself for yelling. I guess then I didn't realize my yelling was some sort of twisted flirting with you. Now, I'm sorry I was yelling because I am just so frustrated with everything."

"I am sorry, too," she nodded. "I think we are at almost a crossroads here. Without yelling, we need to move forward somehow. We both keep saying we don't know how to do that, but we need to figure it out."

"I agree," he told her. "It's not healthy. We figure out what moving forward is, and then we do it. If it means I leave the department, I will. You can always replace me," he looked to her.

She pursed her lips, "This doesn't have to spill into work."

"It has, though," he sighed. "We both know it. Look, I need to be able to know where we stand. Forgive, forget, walk away, whatever it is, we have to do something. The yelling isn't the answer, and I don't want to do that anymore."

"How do you suggest we move forward, Andy? Neither of us know what to do. I'm not sure what I want," she told him.

"How about we agree on a day and time to come back to the table?" he offered. "NO MONOPOLY," he said firmly. "Take a few days, and we talk. Look, I'm done yelling. Anything I've yelled about the last couple days, I'm done. I am not going to continue to rehash things. It's not good for either of us. I've learned that much in AA. It's time to move on, as I said, and what that means, we discuss in a few days."

Sharon thought a moment as she looked to the city, "Okay," she nodded. "I can do that. A few days to think without the yelling and the bitterness."

"Whatever we decide, we agree, that's that," he told her.

"Fine," Sharon pursed her lips. "How do we get through the rest of the evening?"

Andy turned to the condo and gestured, "We walk back in there, we eat, and we watch the television this evening like normal people would do. I can handle that. Lately, we seem to snap from one minute co-existing without an issue to hating each other. Tonight, we are on our best behavior. Deal?"

"Deal," she nodded. "We keep this out of sight for Rusty?" she questioned, making sure Andy didn't plan to start arguing again.

"Of course," he nodded. "Kid has seen enough broken home in his lifetime that he doesn't need our mess tonight too. Let him think we can have one decent family night, and in a few days, we hash this out once and for all."


	19. Chapter 19

She rolled over and could tell the bathroom light was on because she could see it under the door, reflecting into her room. She sighed, as she shifted, she heard Andy cough. She sat up, trying to get her bearings, and she almost jumped out of her bed.

"Why are you sitting in that chair, here in the dark, in my room?" she looked to him. Without her glasses and additional lighting in her room, it was hard to make out his figure, but she knew him, and she knew he was there.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you," he replied. "I promise I'm not some creepy stalker."

Sharon reached over and turned on the light next to her bed to get a better look at him. His face was disheveled, and he looked like he was in pain again. "Are you in pain?" she asked, now concerned as she fumbled for her glasses. She put them on, and now that she was finally upright and able to see, she turned back to him.

"Yeah, some," he sighed. "I won't lie to you. Rusty's bed was killing me, something just about lying horizontal. I couldn't sleep, and really, I would have gone to the living room or the dining room table. Upright, that's what I think I need. The couch or one of the chairs would be fine. I tried Rusty's desk chair, but with how it spins, I couldn't get comfortable. I'm sorry I ended up here. I knew you had this chair in your room, and that it was more comfortable and at least I could lean my head against the wall. I've been dozing in it for about an hour, and I only woke up again about 10 minutes ago. I knew coughing would wake you. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Sharon nodded. "I'm sorry you can't sleep. Your coughing didn't wake me; it alerted me you were up, but I will say I'm surprised to see you sitting there, not that I don't understand. No, I rolled over, and I saw the bathroom light shining under the door."

"Rookie mistake," he teased with a slight humor to his voice. "Sorry about that. Like I said, I've been up and unable to sleep most of the night, but clearly now that I'm awake, I see that I've overstepped. I've taken over your home, and that was not my intent. I showed up here, in your private bedroom, and I apologize."

Sharon started to move from the bed, "I can get you some pain medicine," she said as she started to stand.

"No, no," he told her, his hand up to almost stop her. The chair was against the wall near the foot of the bed, so he was still a little ways from her. "I just took some, as the light in the bathroom indicates. I guess I took some about an hour ago now."

"Okay," she said as she sat back down and looked at him. "Can I make you some tea? That helps when I can't sleep."

"No," he said. "Thanks, but I don't want to bother the kid. "He's dealt with enough giving up his room. I don't want to wake him too. I really feel badly I woke you. Honestly, it wasn't my intent."

"Hmm, I never sleep well. I'm surprised I got what, three solid hours," she rolled her eyes as looked at the clock. It was now just after 2:30, and she'd been sleeping since 11:30. She'd gone to bed at 10:45, but she'd tossed and turned for quite awhile, noting her clock still after 11:00. The evening had gone well all things considered. After their "truce" on the balcony, the two had made great efforts to have a normal evening for Rusty. They both knew he didn't need family drama front and center in the living room, so they rejoined him in the kitchen, where the three actually sat down and ate the food Provenza had brought over earlier. Sharon cleaned up the kitchen while Rusty and Andy played a game of chess. It helped both men, as Rusty had grown accustomed to playing chess when Andy was over. Since the break-up or the break-up of the non-dating break up, whatever it was, Andy hadn't been to the condo, and Sharon knew the two shared a unique bond over chess. She watched as they played, and then she told them she was going to shower for the evening while they continued. It gave her some alone time, and she also knew with both Rusty and Andy, hot water would be in short supply in the morning. After her shower, she dressed in her comfortable clothing for the evening, as it was still relatively early, and she found Andy had moved to the couch and Rusty had retreated to his room while it was still vacant. Sharon joined Andy on the couch; the chairs really weren't that comfortable, and the two found a string of television shows to watch, shows they both enjoyed. Not much was said, which was just fine with both of them. Rusty seemed to "check" on them several times, as he retrieved water and other snacks, and at no point, did they argue or fight. It had gone well.

"Well, you need to get some sleep, and you don't need me keeping you up," Andy grumbled as he started to stand. He groaned from the pain, and Sharon stood up quickly and moved to him.

"Sit down," she told him. "If you are more comfortable in the chair, please stay. Andy, it's really okay, and you are welcome to stay."

"Last thing you need it to try to sleep with a guy you hate just a couple feet away," he sighed.

Sharon sat on the bed again, this time at the foot of it, near Andy, and she rolled her eyes, "Andy, I don't hate you."

He grunted and just shook his head, "I hate myself lately. You don't have to hide anything." Sharon sighed and looked away. The two were silent for several moments. Andy broke the silence. "Can I ask you something?" She turned to him, a look of caution on her face, and he raised his hand, "I'm not picking a fight. I promise. I'm done fighting, really."

She nodded too and gestured with her hand for him to continued.

"You still have pictures of us out here in your room," he stated.

She eyed him and glanced quickly to the left and to the right, almost as if she was looking at the pictures. She didn't need to do so; she knew they were there and more than likely knew he'd seen them all. "That's not a question."

He rolled his eyes at her, "Why?"

"Why?" she repeated.

"Okay, Sharon, why do you still have several, what," he looked around and counted, "four pictures of us here in your bedroom out on display still? Now, I know for a fact you don't have a single picture of Jack anywhere in the house, so while I'm touched our pictures weren't thrown in the garbage alongside any you had of Jack, why are they still out?"

Sharon narrowed her eyes, and she quickly spit out, "Why do you have all new bedroom furniture?"

Andy's posture grew stiff, and he sat up straighter than he had been, obviously surprised. "New furniture? How do you know about that?" As he said it, he closed his eyes, and he nodded, "Rusty." He opened them and looked to Sharon. She was still perched on the edge of the bed, somewhat relaxed, but as his own body was growing tense, he could see it in hers too. She had her arms now slightly crossed as she tried to look at him, while not looking at him.

"Rusty only mentioned it in passing," she explained. "He didn't think about it at all. I thanked him for going to your house and picking up your things, and he just said that some of your clothing was still not even in the drawers. Other drawers still had tags on them."

Andy sighed again. He shifted slightly to get more comfortable and to answer Sharon, "I got new furniture, really everything new in my bedroom because I couldn't stand the sight of it. All of it was a reminder to me of what a failure I was, how stupid I was, and I couldn't take the guilt anymore. I know, he waved, "that doesn't fit with the playboy mentality people have pegged me with over the years, but it's true. I was, I am," he corrected himself, "embarrassed, ashamed, and just downright disgusted with myself for what I did. I let my emotions take over that night, and it was disrespectful to you, even as a, well, whatever we were. I shouldn't have taken a rejection from you and dragged home the next woman I saw. Anyway, that's why. I had to get rid of it. I couldn't take it; it was almost like an alcoholic staring at a full bottle. It was killing me inside to the point I didn't even want to go home. I had started sleeping on the couch, so I called one of those charity groups, and they were happy to get everything. I bought all new furniture, bedding, everything to at least start to make amends."

"Hmm," Sharon nodded and let that sit in the air. Andy looked to her, the question about the photos still needing an answer. She looked up at the ceiling and started to answer him, "I still have out the photos because those were happy times. I have such fond memories, and I don't want to just throw that away. Even the ones with Jack," she shook her head, "I have photos with the kids out. I have a few photos with Jack and the kids tucked away, but I never want to see photos of Jack out in the condo again."

Andy didn't say anything. He had other suspicions, but that wasn't for him to mention at the moment. He sighed and just closed his eyes. The room was quiet again. When he opened them, he caught Sharon looking at him.

"We can hash this out in a few days. We agreed," she pointed out to him.

He nodded, "I'm not going to cause any trouble tonight. I saw the pictures earlier, and I really have been wondering. I guess I know what it feels like, to want to rid your life of the constant reminders, of the bad times, of the problems. Believe me, I appreciate you letting me stay here. I know it wasn't easy. I'm not a good patient, and on top of that, our situation has been rough."

"I haven't been fair to you either. Andy, none of this was one-sided, and I know I started the domino effect of all this. What I said, I know it hurt, and I know it did damage that cannot ever be repaired," she said quietly.

"I guess I should go back to Rusty's room and try to sleep," Andy groaned as he stood. Sharon stood quickly too, almost waiting for him to fall or stumble.

"You can stay in the chair if you like," she told him.

"Nah, you need your sleep, and you don't need me just watching you," he said.

"I probably won't sleep well. I could always turn on the television," she gestured at it. From her bed, and even from the chair where Andy had been sitting, there was a good view of the television. "Really, I have it on most nights. There's plenty of things to watch on my dvr."

"Yeah, sure," he nodded. "I'll sit, that is if you don't mind? I appreciate the bed from Rusty, but it's just not cutting it tonight. Your chair works wonders, but why should that surprise me? It's yours, and being around you always seems to help."

Sharon ignored the compliment as Andy got comfortable in the chair. She climbed back up in bed and got comfortable, situated against her pillows and propped up against her headboard. She looked to Andy. "Are you cold? You can use this blanket?" she offered him, one located at the bottom of her bed.

Andy eyed it, while at the same time, Sharon moved again to give him the blanket. She stood before him and helped him wrap up in it. "Thank you," he nodded to her.

"You're welcome," she told him and turned back to move to her bed. "Comedy okay for tonight?"

"Sure," he said. "At least we have the same taste in shows. It's not like watching with Provenza."

"Or Ricky," she told him and chuckled. "Ricky was home with me alone for a couple years after Emily went off to school. He has horrible taste in shows."

"Well, at least Rusty is better," Andy smiled.

"Hmm, yes, his taste is better, but I suppose a lot of that he couldn't help. You and I often were guilty of hogging the television on many nights out there in the living room, and Rusty would just get sucked into whatever we watched."

"Guilty," Andy nodded and chuckled quietly. "That color blue, you should wear that more often," he nodded to Sharon. She looked down at her simple, light blue pajamas, and when she looked back at him, almost with a confused expression, he stumbled. "I mean, not the pajamas. I don't mean you should wear those more often. You can," he gestured with his hands. "It's your house. I just meant I haven't seen you wear that color much, you know, at work, or anything, and it's a good color. I mean, it's a good color on you. Some of it might be against your skin. It's a good color with your coloring because you don't have on makeup, and that's not something most people see. It's a good color, and that's all," he sighed and shook his head.

"Thank you," Sharon said quietly. She rolled her eyes at Andy when she met his gaze, "Obviously, I knew about your love for baseball. I did not expect you to have baseball pajama pants."

Andy looked to his pants. Only part of one leg was visible because of the blanket. He pointed at them, "Don't you remember that Rusty gave me these for Christmas? It was some joke. It all went back to a breakfast Provenza and I had with Rusty a long time ago. Somehow, Provenza started talking about how he sleeps, and well," Andy rolled his eyes, "we all started talking about it, what we wear to bed. Don't ask," he shook his head. "Let's just say Provenza-that's not a good image. Rusty gave me these last Christmas as a joke. He said he was walking by a store in the mall with Dodger pajama pants, and something was funny about that. Don't tell the kid, but they're my favorite."

Sharon offered a small smile, "You should tell him. I'm sure he'd enjoy knowing that."

Andy shrugged, "It's embarrassing enough he knows what is going on, and here I am, having to stay at his house. We don't need to talk pajamas. Tomorrow morning, Provenza will take me to my appointment, I'll get my clearance paperwork to get back to work, and then, I'll be out of your hair, baseball pajamas and all. After that, we can take a few days to figure out how we aren't going to yell at each other when we finally hash out this mess."


	20. Chapter 20

She glanced at her watch; it was almost 10:30, and she still hadn't heard anything. She checked on everyone else with a quick look out into the room. They were working, and it was quiet. Two chairs were still vacant, the reason for her almost anxious behavior. Almost coincidently, her phone alerted her to a text, and she looked at it quickly.

"Finished at the doctor's office and heading to work," it said, the text from Provenza. She sighed, not sure why she was doing that. Andy and Provenza were now on their way, and she could relax, not that she had a reason for being anxious. He'd had an 8:00 appointment, and Provenza had arrived at the condo promptly at 7:30 that morning to collect Andy. Andy hadn't slept much, but neither had Sharon. After discovering him in the middle of the night and after their somewhat amicable chat, the two had watched television for at least another hour. Sharon wasn't sure who fell asleep first, but at some point, both did because her wake up came in the form of a grown teenager.

 _"Psst, Sharon," she heard from the doorway that morning, just after 6:00. She opened her eye, noting Andy was asleep in the chair with his head back and mouth open; he looked uncomfortable. She turned toward Rusty and found him frowning in the doorway. "Hey, so I got up to use the bathroom, and what's going on with the lieutenant?" Rusty gestured. "He looks dead. Is he dead? Why is he there with a perfectly good bed down the hall?"_

 _"Morning, Rusty," Sharon sighed. "Andy was having trouble sleeping, and being horizontal was bothering him. He's been there most of the night. It was a rough night," she whispered. Andy started to stir, which wasn't surprising with the ongoing conversation between Sharon and Rusty._

 _"Looks a little creepy, like he's watching you," Rusty made a face. "Should I be worried? Is the lieutenant is now stalking you, watching you sleep?"_

 _"I'm not stalking her," Andy grumbled as he started to wake up. "I couldn't sleep."_

 _"Yeah, I heard," Rusty told them. "Could be worse," he shrugged, as he met Sharon's questioning gaze. "At least he wasn't IN your bed, Sharon." With that, Rusty ducked away, and Andy's eyes flew open. Sharon sat up in bed, completely mortified. She put her head in her hands, and Andy sighed as he stood._

 _"Sorry, Sharon. I didn't mean to make this awkward," he told her as he groaned when he stood._

 _"No, it's okay. There was nothing about this situation that was inappropriate. Odd, yes, but not inappropriate. Rusty is just being Rusty," she told him as she moved her feet to the side to get up for the morning._

 _"What time is it?" Andy asked._

 _"Just after 6:00. I had my alarm set for 6:15," she explained. Andy nodded and started walking toward the door._

 _From the doorway, he turned to her, "Thanks for letting me crash here last night. The chair actually helped. I think I finally got a few hours of sleep, and I am feeling a little better. If it's okay with you, I'm going to get a shower, that is, unless you want to use it first."_

 _She shook her head, "No, go ahead. I showered last night, but if you don't mind, I'll use the bathroom before you get in the shower. Then, it's all yours. I can do my makeup here in my room. I will wait to leave for work until Provenza picks you up for your appointment."_

 _"Sounds good," he nodded. "Here comes Rusty now," Andy nodded toward Rusty. Rusty smirked at him as he walked by, and Sharon called to Rusty._

 _"Rusty, since you are up bright and early, as well as being very chipper this morning, why don't you start breakfast? I'm sure you can make some eggs for Andy before his appointment," Sharon told him._

 _"I was going to try and go back to bed," he stopped in her doorway, now both Andy and Rusty were in the doorway._

 _"Of course," she nodded. "Go back to bed-AFTER BREAKFAST," she enunciated. "If you are set on stirring up things this morning, you might as well stir up some breakfast."_

 _Rusty's horrified face told her everything; she'd gotten the last laugh there. Rusty nodded and silently walked away. Andy watched from the doorway, and when Rusty had walked out of sight, into the kitchen, he turned back to Sharon, "Nicely played, but the kid doesn't have to make breakfast."_

 _"Thank you, but you need a decent one, and that's the end of that," she nodded. Andy gave a nod and a soft smile before he headed to Rusty's room to collect his toiletries._

Now, she wondered how his appointment had gone. She knew he was still in a lot of pain and found it hard to imagine Andy would be cleared to drive. The man could barely put his suit coat on, as she'd seen that morning. She'd had to help him because his ribs were still killing him. She looked back to her computer screen; she had work to do, and hopefully, there would be an update soon.

It was 11:35 when her two senior detectives entered the room. She looked up to find they had gotten lunch for everyone from the deli nearby they all liked. Sharon stood and walked into the room to see how things had gone.

"Captain," Provenza nodded to her, "we got you the salad you like with the squirrel stuff in it."

"Squirrel stuff?" she let out a low chuckle as she raised her eyebrows and looked to Provenza.

"Yeah, nuts, berries, that healthy stuff," he made a face and handed it to her like the salad was contagious. "Here you go."

"Thank you," she nodded as she accepted the salad. "I think I have cash. Let me go get it." While she had been talking to Provenza, Andy had been delivering food to Buzz and Mike, collecting money from them and had not been part of the interaction between Provenza and Sharon.

Provenza shook his head, "I'm happy to take your money, Captain, but pay Flynn. By now, you should know I don't pay for other people's food, even if I'm promised reimbursement."

Sharon closed her eyes in a silent chuckle and nodded, "I will. Thank you." She waited for Andy to turn back toward her before she spoke to him. He was busy putting the cash in his wallet, and Sharon cleared her throat. "Lieutenant, I assume you are back at work because your doctor cleared you to be here?"

He looked to her then, and it registered with Andy that he hadn't even addressed that with her yet. "Oh, yeah, right," he nodded. "Umm, Captain, I have paperwork for you."

"Just bring it to me when you finish your lunch," she told him and turned to the group. "I'll be working in my office." Sharon returned to her office and started in on her salad as she continued to read reports. She got lost in the time and looked up when she heard a knock at the door. She didn't need to ask who it was; the door opened at the same time as the knock. The only person who did that, if he knocked at all, was Andy.

"I've got that paperwork," he held it up in his hand as he walked in, closed the door, and took a seat. Sharon reached for her purse to pull out the money for lunch.

"I've got the money for lunch. Lieutenant Provenza said you picked up the tab today, as if that's a surprise with Provenza," she told him.

Andy gave a soft chuckle, "Yeah, guy doesn't buy anything, including usually, his own meals. Keep it," he waved at her. "Lunch was the least I could do after all you've done for me."

She looked at him somewhat surprised, "Ahh, okay, thank you," she nodded. "What did the doctor say? Are you on the mend?" She turned her attention toward him after she put her purse away. Somehow, it didn't surprise her he wouldn't take money for lunch.

"Yeah," he sighed as he handed over the paperwork. "Here's what I was given. I'm on desk duty, light work, for the next couple weeks. I can go in the field for basic things, like to show up at a crime scene, but nothing crazy. My chasing car days are over, at least for the time being," he rolled his eyes. "Doc wants me back in two weeks for further clearance. I won't be in tip-top shape at that point, but he might be able to give me proper clearance, or at least a timeframe for it.

Sharon nodded, took the paperwork, and hummed, "Let's go ahead and say that the chasing car days are over, period."

"Noted," Andy nodded with a hint of a smile on his face. "Listen," he said as he stood, albeit slowly, but without groaning, "doc told me I was okay to go home tonight. I'll swing by and get my things after work if you don't mind? I should have thought about that this morning and had Provenza just put my bag in his car."

"It's fine," Sharon stated in her professional tone. "It's not a problem for you to pick it up later. Are you sure you're okay to drive? I know you are still in a great deal of pain."

"I'll be okay. The pain isn't going to go away instantly. I'll adjust. Who knows, I might even get a decent sleep in my new bed," he offered a nod as he opened the door. "I'll get back to work."

Sharon nodded at him and turned back to her work. She also needed to finish her salad; it was only half eaten. It took her another hour and a half to finish her stack of paperwork and her salad, and at that point, it was early afternoon. She decided a fresh cup of tea was needed and started to the break room for it.

Sharon didn't note who was in the office when she walked through it. She was tired and a bit dazed from her late night with little sleep. As she walked into the break room, she was almost surprised to find Provenza there making a cup of coffee.

"Similar idea, I see," she smiled at him. He looked up at her.

"I was falling asleep doing my paperwork," he told her.

She looked at him, the surprise evident on her face, and put her hands on her chest like she was in shock, "You were doing paperwork, Lieutenant?"

"Strange, I know, and I don't make a habit of it," he raised his eyebrows; he tried not to laugh at her joke. "With Flynn out, I haven't had anyone to dump it on lately."

"With him now being chained to a desk, I'm surprised you didn't dump it on him this afternoon," she teased.

He put his cup down, as he was in mid-sip when she said that, "You mean, he didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" she looked to him with a questioning expression.

"That Flynn! Idiot!" Provenza exclaimed in frustration. "He came in here not even 10 minutes ago. I was doing my crossword while I was waiting for my coffee to brew. He came in here and said he wasn't feeling so great and had decided to take up the doctor on his offer to come back in today for different pain medicine. The doctor apparently told Flynn there were other things he could try that wouldn't cause addiction issues. I assumed he stopped in and told you before he caught me in here. I offered to drive him, but he said he could go on his own."

Her eyes grew wide, "Andy went back to the doctor on his own? He didn't tell me that."

Provenza huffed, "Flynn," he sighed again. "I see he's taking the whole 'letting his direct superior officer and no one else' thing seriously. I can't believe he didn't tell you. Your office is not even 10 feet away, and up until recently, he used to face your desk more than his own."

Sharon shook her head, "I knew he was in pain. I knew he wasn't doing well. He's so stubborn!"

Provenza raised an eye to Sharon, and she rolled her eyes. "Captain, in your situation, it takes one to know one. You're even more stubborn than Flynn, which is why I was actually surprised the two of you got through the day yesterday without killing each other."

"Hmm, we went rounds, to say the least," she said as she crossed her arms. "Now, stop trying to change my focus. Andy left, what, 15 minutes ago now?" She looked at her watch.

"About then, yes," Provenza nodded. "I'll text him now to let him know what a huge idiot he is."

Sharon held her arm out to almost stop him, "Please, don't, at least not now. I don't want him trying to suffer though work in pain. Yes, logically, he should have said something to me. I know he technically reported to his supervisor, but that would have been the decent thing to do. I'll let it slide considering his injury and how tired I know he is. We both want him better, and honestly, I'm surprised, but glad he's asking for help. If the doctor can help him, good."

"He said he barely got any sleep," Provenza nodded in agreement.

"That's true," she told him. "Rusty's bed was uncomfortable for him. He ended up in my room most of the night," she admitted. Provenza almost choked on his coffee as he glanced toward Sharon. She didn't realize how that sounded until she heard Provenza spitting out his coffee. "Lieutenant! He sat in a chair in my room. Andy was more comfortable upright, and he didn't want to further imposition Rusty in the living room. After everything, Lieutenant, you know better than that. You, yourself, said you were surprised we didn't kill each other yesterday."

"Well, I'm sure Flynn will be just fine. He'll get the medicine he should have accepted from the hospital yesterday and will finally start feeling better. If anything good came out of his stupid chasing the car behavior, maybe it was that the two of you worked through some of your issues. I hope that's the case. It's been too tense around here, and when we arrived at work today with lunch, you seemed to at least not want to cut his throat," Provenza grumbled.

"We are working through our issues, yes," she nodded. "I'm sorry to have brought personal business to work. We've done our fair share of yelling, but we agreed to come back to the table in a few days with a reasonable solution to moving through this mess. At the end of everything, I'd like to be able to keep him here in the division."

"You'd transfer him!" Provenza exclaimed.

"No, I wouldn't, or I hope I wouldn't be that petty, but he mentioned it during one of our disagreements yesterday. We are hoping to come to some sort of mutual agreement or understanding to at least continue working together. Now, as far as his medical issues today, I expect you will let me know when you hear from him this afternoon?"

"I will," Provenza nodded, "but, he may just come back to work, especially if he just got a new prescription. So, do you want me to use the texting or not?"

"Don't text him, at least not yet. Let him try to get to the bottom of his pain," Sharon sighed and nodded. "I'll be in my office." After that, Sharon continued to glance up every few minutes the rest of the afternoon. She also kept picking up her phone, ready to send Andy a text, but she always put it down and tried to concentrate on work. He'd just been to the doctor, but as Andy was Andy, he'd tried to dismiss the pain. Only after realizing just how much pain he was in and how that was going to affect everything from driving home to dressing and undressing, did he concede that he needed stronger medicine. Sharon shouldn't have been surprised that he ducked out to see his doctor again, but that didn't stop her from worrying about one of her lieutenants. It was after 4:00 when he finally returned, the doctor's visit taking much longer than she would have expected. Sharon had a feeling Andy was in the building when she noted Provenza leaving his desk just after 4:00. He left the room, and she expected he probably was going to meet Andy at the elevator with a chewing out about how Andy should have also notified Sharon. Just a few minutes later, both men walked into the office, and when Sharon glanced up, and she noted Provenza heading to his desk, while Andy walked toward her office. He didn't knock, this time. He opened the door and nodded to her when she met his gaze.

"Lieutenant Provenza said you were going to get some stronger pain meds. I'm glad you agreed to that," she told him.

"Ahh, listen, Sharon," he sighed and gestured to the chair to sit. Sharon, with a puzzled expression at his even asking to sit, nodded to him. Andy normally just sat down in the chair; his behavior was off. "I'm sorry I ran out of here this afternoon. I realize, as the captain, you should have been notified. I wasn't thinking clearly. I did go back to my doctor, hoping I just needed new pain meds. Turns out that it's more than that."

"Okay," she nodded as she tried to read his expression. "What did he say?"

"Well, he didn't like some of the symptoms I was describing, even different symptoms from this morning. Bottom line is I have a blood clot he believes formed because of this dust up. He prescribed some meds to hopefully break up the clot, but if that doesn't work, or the clot moves, I'll have to have surgery."

"Surgery!" Sharon exclaimed.

He nodded, "Doc said they'll just go into my neck and rip the sucker out," Andy used his hands to demonstrate. He was calm and relatively quiet, just giving Sharon the basic information.

"Andy," Sharon's eyes grew wide, "you have a blood clot in your carotid artery?"

"Umm, yeah, a small one," he admitted. "Look, Sharon, the doc sees no reason the medicine shouldn't break it up. I should be fine, but in the meantime, I have to ask you to pull that work paperwork again. He said I can't work until that is gone. I have a long list of things I can't do, and one of them, I need to work on now. He told me no more driving, but I decided not to mention to him that I'd driven to the appointment. I figured I could get back to work. He also said I couldn't be alone; there's a risk of fainting, so I'm going to see if I can stay with Provenza. I know he doesn't have a guest room, but I've been sleeping better sitting up, so maybe the old guy will let me borrow his recliner."

Sharon shook her head. She could feel tears forming, but she wasn't sure why, exactly. Yes, of course, she cared about what happened to Andy, and she wasn't sure he was taking this seriously.

"You don't need to stay with Provenza. You can continue to stay at the condo," she told him.

"Sharon, you have to admit that wasn't easy, staying at the condo," he sighed. "I don't want to be a bother, and the doc definitely said I needed to avoid stress. Besides, I also need to be supervised. They're worried I could have a dizzy spell. Patrice can help with that. She is a nurse."

Sharon pursed her lips, "Andy, I'd like you to stay. Rusty is home right now quite a bit. I know he wouldn't mind staying with you. Provenza doesn't even have a room for you to stay in, and at least at the condo, you can get some rest on Rusty's bed, or if I'm not home, you can rest on mine. Your things are already at the condo, and I promise to extend our truce until you are out of the woods. I won't add any stress to your life. You and I both know staying with Provenza won't reduce your stress either. I'll be kind and completely civil," she told him.

He eyed her, "Sharon," he shook his head.

Sharon stood and walked toward him, wanting to get out of the office quickly. The tears were building, and she couldn't let him see that. "Please, Andy. I am concerned about you. This isn't just something that will go away tomorrow. Andy, you do realize how serious this is, don't you?"

"Of course!" He exclaimed and then sighed. He slumped back in the chair, "I could die, yeah, I get it. I just can't ask you to deal with this, with me," he gestured.

"Look, I'm going to ahh, collect my things in the break room right now, and then I'm going to take you home, take you back to my home," she corrected. "I can work from home the rest of the day, not that the day isn't almost over anyway, and you can rest. Andy, we'll get you through this."

He nodded and sighed quietly, "I'm a terrible patient; you know that."

"Hmm, I do," Sharon said quietly. "No fighting until you are better. Promise."

"Okay," he relented. "I'll let Provenza know."

"I'll be back, and we can head home," Sharon informed him. She moved quickly from her office and avoided any eye contact with the rest of the team. The bathroom had never felt so far away.


	21. Chapter 21

"So, you can't be left alone, you can't drive, you can't lift things, you can't bend over to tie your shoes-does that about cover it?" Rusty asked Andy as the three sat in the living room. Andy had just explained to Rusty, and Sharon too, even though she'd already heard everything, the restrictions his doctor had placed. Rusty sat with in the orange chair with a pillow folded up in his lap. Andy was seated at one end of the couch with Sharon at the other. The two had been home from work for a few hours; they'd had some time to discuss Andy's condition, and Rusty had just recently returned to the condo. Sharon reached forward for her mug on the coffee table and took a sip of her tea. She looked to Andy, giving him a silent look. He nodded, and she reached for his mug as well and handed it to him. Rusty just watched the silent encounter and waited for more information.

"That's pretty much it," Andy sighed as he sat back and held his mug. He started to cross his legs, but Sharon nodded to that, and he nodded. "Right, add that to the list; I can't cross my legs."

Rusty frowned, "Those are some weird guidelines. I'm not sure if I understand, but okay," he nodded. "I'll make sure you don't do any of that while I'm here."

"Rusty, if anything happens, you know to call 911," she explained.

Andy sighed loudly, "See, this is why I wanted to stay with Provenza. You're going to worry too much, and now you've got the kid worried too," he gestured to Rusty who had a shocked look on his face at the thought of something happening to Andy. Sharon turned to him.

"Andy, we are covering all bases. Whether you are here with Rusty, Patrice, or me, we need to make sure we know the plan," Sharon told him. She turned to Rusty, "Rusty, why don't you get your chess board. I'm sure that would help ease the stress around here."

Rusty took the hint, at least to give Sharon and Andy a few moments alone. He stood and started down the hall. Sharon knew chess would help pass the time, but she also wanted to discuss something they hadn't yet.

"I'd like to offer you Rusty's room again, but I also wanted to talk to you about where you are most comfortable. 'Anywhere except the condo' is not an acceptable answer, but I do want you to know that if you are more comfortable on the couch, just say the word. I hate to put you out here; you're sick, and normally the couch is not appropriate for anyone over 30, but if you are more comfortable-" she continued to ramble, but Andy cut her off before she could say anything else.

"Sharon," he caught her attention before he continued, "the couch is more than fine. I'd prefer it, if you don't mind. I hate taking Rusty's room, and out here, I can sit up or even turn on the television if I can't sleep."

"Okay," she nodded and gave Andy a look to indicate Rusty was returning. "Rusty," she smiled at him as he put the chess set down on the coffee table and continued, "Andy is going to stay here on the couch this time."

"Oh, it's not a problem, Lieutenant. I don't mind you using my room," Rusty told him. Andy held up his hand.

"Rusty, I'd prefer to stay out here. My back and ribs are bothering me. Thank you for the use of your room, but someone needs to use the room who can sleep in the bed," he smiled at Rusty. Rusty listened as he continued to put the pieces on the board. He nodded.

"That's cool, but Lieutenant, if you need my room, it's like not a problem," he nodded.

"Thanks, Kid," Andy said. Rusty nodded and looked to the board. "So, let's do something normal and get this game started." Sharon watched for a few moments and stood then to tidy up the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, she gripped the counter and let out her breath. Talking about Andy's condition seemed simple and methodical. It had to seem that way, especially where Rusty was concerned, but now, for the first time, she had a moment to really think about what could happen to Andy, and it was hitting her hard. He could die. Andy's clot could kill him. He could be here one moment and gone the next; the thought was terrifying.

"Need anything?" Sharon reached for the rag to wipe off the counter and busy herself. She hoped her voice didn't sound shaky.

"The lieutenant won't tell you, but I think he wants something to drink,"' Rusty yelled back. Sharon smiled at how direct Rusty was at times.

"Rusty, really, I'm fine. I can get myself something to drink," she heard Andy tell Rusty. Sharon moved around getting them both something, and she delivered it moments later.

"I know how parched you can get from playing chess," she enunciated, hoping they realized she was teasing. The two were focused, both thanked her for the drinks. "Well, I'll get out of your hair. I'll be in my room working."

Sharon spent the next two hours working in her room. It was odd knowing that Rusty and Andy were in the next room and barely a word had been said, but she also knew that was just chess. It was one of the reasons she didn't particularly like it; Sharon just couldn't stay quiet that long. She closed her paperwork and decided to go to bed. The exhaustion was setting in quickly.

"I'm heading to bed," she told them from the doorway of her room. Rusty moved his piece, and then both men looked up at her.

"Oh, what time is it?" Rusty asked.

"After 10:00 now," she smiled. "Some of us have to go to work in the morning. Others can play chess all day." Rusty grinned, and she looked to Andy. "Are you feeling okay? Need anything?"

"No," he said quietly. "Please, you don't need to treat me like some guest. I can take care of myself. I appreciate the hospitality, but don't walk on eggshells around me, please. Also, don't think you'll wake me up in the morning when you are going to work. If I'm not awake, it's really okay. The noise doesn't bother me."

Sharon pursed her lips, "Just please wake me if you aren't feeling well or something is wrong. I'm right here, and if you need anything-" she was cut off by Andy.

"I'll get you, Sharon. Thank you. Get some rest. I know you're exhausted," he nodded to her.

"Night, Sharon," Rusty told her.

"Goodnight," she smiled at both. "Don't stay up too late."

Sharon tossed and turned all night. She didn't sleep well and checked on Andy three different times. It was silly, really, but she was even more concerned about him now that a blood clot was an issue. He found an odd way to angle himself on the couch to sleep. It looked awkward, but he had been sleeping each time she had checked on him, so it seemed to do the trick.

She dressed for work and tried to prepare her coffee quietly. She was almost ready to walk out the door, the condo still quiet, when Andy startled her.

"Smells good," he said from the counter area, and Sharon, who had her back to it, almost dropped her coffee cup.

"Oh, you scared me!" she exclaimed when she turned around to him.

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "That wasn't the plan. I keep saying that. Seems like I keep messing up around here. I'm in your hair; I know I am."

"Andy, stop apologizing," she shook her head. "I just didn't hear you get up from the couch. Did you sleep okay?"

"Better," he nodded. "I slept better than I have in a few days. I've got a good feeling these meds are going to do the trick. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, the doc tells me I'm good, and then I can go home once and for all."

"Andy," she sighed. She glanced to her watch. "I'm going to be late. I need to get going. Rusty is just down the hall if you need anything, and I'm sure he'll be up soon anyway. Coffee seems to lure him out of his slumber."

"Well, try to relax at work, Andy offered a small smile. "You know," he put his hand to his mouth, "it's sad I'm telling you that as you go to work where you talk to murderers all day, but really, Sharon-I'll be fine here with Rusty today. Patrice comes over tomorrow, and the day after that, I have another appointment."

Sharon gathered her things as she listened to him. She nodded and glanced at him quickly again, "Well, call me if you need anything. I'll check in later."

Sharon patted his hand as she walked by him at the counter, which felt odd to do, but so did just walking out and leaving him there at the counter. She spent her drive to work thinking about all the things that could go wrong with Andy's situation. That led her to thinking about work without him there. He was very smart and very good at his job. She, as Chief Johnson had done, often asked him to check the financials because he had always had a meticulous mathematical mind. He thought outside of the box, something that wasn't a skill one could easily acquire. You either had it or you didn't, and Andy did that well. Her thoughts almost overwhelmed her when she walked into the office and saw his empty chair. She ran her hand over it as she entered her office, and if the team noticed, they didn't say anything. The day seemed to drag, even though they were closing quarterly reports. Sharon was called into a meeting with Taylor to review the quarterly reports after lunch.

Sharon and Taylor had been going over reports for almost 45 minutes when Provenza interrupted them. "Yes, Lieutenant, do we have a case?" Sharon asked when both she and Taylor looked to the door after he entered.

"Ahh, Captain, Taylor," he nodded to them. "Captain, no, we don't have a case. It's Flynn. Rusty tried to get you, but you're in here," he gestured to the room. "Flynn collapsed, and the paramedics are taking him to the hospital."

"What?" Sharon jumped from her seat, causing paperwork to go flying. Taylor moved quickly to catch the paperwork before it all ended up on the floor. Sharon looked to Provenza with a panicked expression. "What happened?"

Provenza raised his hand, "I don't know. I'm going to the hospital now to find out. Rusty rode with him. I'll have Patrice meet me there, and I'll have her take Rusty home. I'm listed as Flynn's medical proxy."

Sharon looked to the mess she'd created with the paperwork. "Ahh, Chief, this is going to have to wait. Lieutenant," she turned back to him, "let me grab my purse. I'm going with you." She rushed by Provenza, and Provenza put his hands in his pockets, pursed his lips, and looked at a surprised Taylor.

"I thought there was some issue with those two," he gestured toward Sharon. "I know she's always followed the rules, and nothing was ever formally going on with them, but I'd heard chatter the two had a big blow-up."

"Oh, there is," Provenza nodded. "The two of them are in the middle of a mess. We all better hope Flynn pulls through okay. She hasn't even figured out what the rest of us can see. This mess could get much worse."


	22. Chapter 22

1109, 1109," she continued to repeat over and over. She couldn't take her eyes off the different rooms, and after she had repeated the numbers close to 1,109 times, Provenza lightly took hold of her arm.

"Captain," his light touch caused her to snap out of her repetitive nature and look to him, at which point, he continued, "We won't forget the room number. He's in 1109; you've repeated it several times, and now it's engrained in my head. We won't forget Flynn's room number."

Sharon nodded even though she was definitely dazed. "Right," she nodded. "He's in 1109."

"So I heard," he grumbled. "The elevator is just ahead," he gestured for her to move forward with him. "Let's take the elevator up to his floor, and we'll go to his room."

"Room 1109," she repeated again, clearly dazed. Provenza rolled his eyes without her seeing it, and he nudged her to move forward.

"Sharon," Provenza spoke to her again once they were in the elevator. It was useless before that; she was a mess and not focusing on anything he was saying. He touched her arm lightly again, and this time, she turned to him and hummed.

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "I can't believe he collapsed. Andy collapsed! He could die. What if it's too late already?"she panicked.

"Listen," he held up his arms as if trying to stop her from rambling, "the desk gave us his room number. They wouldn't put a corpse in a room," he chuckled lightly. Sharon's eyes turned to total panic, and Provenza quickly realized joking with Sharon right now wasn't the best idea. "Sorry. That probably wasn't the best choice of wording. Listen, Flynn, he's going to be fine. He's here in a hospital; they'll take care of him, and he'll be out soon, good as new. Well," he shrugged and rolled his eyes at her, "he'll be out. He's never going to be good or new."

Sharon remained quiet; she wasn't hearing Provenza, or if she was, she wasn't processing anything. She stared at the elevator numbers as they changed. "1109," she said again shaking her head. "Why does he have to be in 1109?"

Provenza eyed her. This was progress, at least. She'd said something, even if he didn't understand it. She was thinking about something, obviously something related to the dumb room number, and he finally made eye contact with her, giving her a questioning glance, and she seemed to recognize that. She cleared her throat, "1109. That's my condo address," she nodded. "His hospital room is the same number as my condo. 1109. He has to be okay; I don't think I could ever go back to my condo if he isn't. He fell in the condo, and I feel like that was my fault. Now, here, he's in a room with the same number. He can't collapse in 1109 and die in 1109 too."

"That has to be the dumbest logic I've heard," Provenza said somewhat sternly to her. He knew Sharon Raydor well, and he needed to snap her out of current focus. "For the first time ever, I'm going to say that something, this room number thing, is a coincidence! There are no such thing as coincidences until today. Flynn's room is a coincidence, nothing more. He's going to make it."

The doors opened, and Sharon almost jumped out to move down the hall. Provenza had to scurry after her to catch up; he didn't know anyone who could move that quickly and effortlessly in such high heels. The heels clicked on the floor; they echoed in the halls. Sharon turned the corner, closing in on her destination, Room 1109.

"He's not here," Sharon's face went white when she walked into the room and found it empty. Rusty wasn't there either, and he'd told Provenza he'd stay with Andy. "Lieutenant," Sharon turned back to him again hoping he could explain the absence.

"Just hold on," Provenza raised his hands. A nurse was coming out of the room across the hall, and he looked to her. "Excuse me," he gave her a slight smile, "we are looking for a police lieutenant brought in here, Lieutenant Andrew Flynn. He collapsed at home, and we were told he was in his room."

"1109," Sharon clarified as if there was a question about that.

"Mr. Flynn," she nodded. "Yes, he has been assigned the room, but they said he was still finishing some testing. He should be up shortly. I haven't seen him yet, but we were told to expect him within the hour. You can wait in his room."

"Thank you," Provenza nodded at her. "We'll wait for him, and let me just go ahead and apologize for him. He's not a pleasant sick person."

The nurse smiled at them, "I'm sure we can handle him just fine. I'll be in as soon as he arrives."

Provenza gestured for Sharon to walk into the room, and she did. He moved around her and guided her to the empty chair. He pulled out his phone to send a text to Patrice. She was on her way, but he knew it would take her longer to arrive because the hospital was closer to work. He sent her the room information, and then he turned back to Sharon. She was sitting in the chair, staring at nothing, but her hands were clenched. She was quite the sight. He touched her shoulder, and with that, she seemed to relax a bit, at least the grip she had on her own hands seemed to relax.

"Sharon!" they both heard and turned to see Rusty walking into the room. He had some blood on his clothing, and he was almost as white as a ghost. He was also carrying a bag containing Andy's personal items.

'Rusty!" Sharon let out a long rush of air as she jumped up to pull him into a hug. "Where's Andy?"

"Ahh, he's coming up now. I rode up the first elevator. There was a line of beds to catch the elevator, but I rode in a separate one. He was the third one waiting, almost like how we had to wait on the runway forever when we flew to New York last year," he said, still a bit shaky. "Sharon, there was so much blood."

Sharon bit her lip and pulled him in for another hug. She didn't want to let go of him. "I'm just so grateful, so grateful," she repeated, "you were there and called 911. He could have died, Rusty. What have they said?" Sharon pulled back to look Rusty in the eye.

"Well, he's pretty grumpy. He was out cold when he fell; I couldn't wake up the lieutenant. When the paramedics got there, he was starting to stir, and he finally came to when they were loading him into the ambulance. I'm sorry, but I'm not even sure I locked the condo, Sharon. It was such a blur. I'm still shaking," he told her.

Provenza stepped in and gestured to the chair where Sharon had been sitting, "Rusty, have a seat. Relax. You did a good job, a very good job. Take a moment to catch your breath." Provenza was going to say more, but the door opened again, and they all turned to see Andy being wheeled into the room. He had a huge bruise forming on the side of his head, at least what they could see that wasn't covered by the bandage from the fall. It appeared he had been given several stitches too.

As Andy was wheeled into the room, Provenza turned toward Sharon expecting her to start running. She was acting out of sorts, and he had a good idea why, but he was surprised when she stayed rooted in her spot. Rusty sat, just watching, as he tried to relax himself.

"Oh, you didn't need to come," Andy groaned when he saw Provenza and Sharon in the room. Provenza moved to Andy's side after they situated the bed, and the orderlies moved out of the room quickly. He turned, expecting to see Sharon at his side there to address Andy, but he was surprised she was still standing in the corner near Rusty.

"What, did you think we'd just sit at work and chat it up with Taylor while you were here? No!" He exclaimed. "The captain over there, she was just saying what a great thing this was because it got her out of a meeting with Taylor," Provenza said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Lieutenant!" Sharon exclaimed as her eyes grew wide in horror. "I said no such thing!"

"Guys! The ER doctor told the lieutenant to avoid stress," Rusty repeated the instructions. "I know you are trying to help, but I'm pretty sure this isn't."

Andy sighed, and he looked to Provenza, "I just got dizzy and fell. I'm sure I'll be fine. They ran tests to check on the clot, and I think-" he stopped talking at the sound of a knock at the door.

"I'm Dr. Liu," they heard and all turned toward the source of the voice. She walked in, staring at paperwork, and she only looked at Andy when she reached his bed. "Mr. Flynn, you're lucky you aren't dead. The clot is going to kill you if I don't do surgery to remove it."

Andy groaned, and Sharon finally spoke from where she was standing, "Surgery?" She choked out.

"That's right. He needs surgery, probably tomorrow after his labs are stable," she explained. "I'm waiting for the test results to come back, but I believe he will be ready in the morning." She turned to Sharon, "Your husband is very lucky the clot didn't kill him already. If your son there hadn't been home, we would have had a much different outlook."

"Oh, I'm not his wife," Sharon fumbled for words, and she started to turn red. Andy sighed loudly from his bed, but he didn't have the words to explain the situation.

"She's his boss," Provenza jumped in to explain everything. "I've got his medical power of attorney and am his best friend. The three of us all work together."

The doctor looked around the room and pursed her lips, "Mr. Flynn, I've never had another patient whose boss showed up for the surgery consult. You seem to have quite an interesting boss."

"Oh, Doc," Provenza chuckled and shook his head, "you have no idea."

"Sharon's a friend, Doc," Andy sighed as he gestured. "They have all been caring for me the last few days. I've been staying with Sharon and Rusty, and he," he hooked his hand to Provenza, "has been running me around to my appointments."

"Well, I'm not interested in the family dynamics, just the clot that could end Mr. Flynn's life. We'll go in, hopefully first thing in the morning, and take out the clot. It's a standard procedure, still full of risk, but it's one I've done often."

The medical explanation took another 10 minutes, and when they were all satisfied with the information, Dr. Liu told them she would return later to check on Andy. After she left, the room grew silent. Rusty looked around at the adults, and he cleared his throat. "I'm glad you're awake, Lieutenant."

"Rusty, thanks for coming to my rescue. I owe you one," he offered a small smile.

"Rusty," Provenza looked to him, "Patrice should be here soon. Why don't you walk downstairs with me, and we'll get you a soda. I'm sure Patrice knows where we can get you a fresh shirt too," he nodded to Rusty's bloody one. "Come with me for now, and we'll bring back some coffee for the captain."

"Ahh, yeah," Rusty nodded and stood. "Sharon, do you want coffee?"

"Anything is fine," Sharon gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

"Captain, we'll be back shortly. Flynn, don't upset yourself before the doc removes that clot," Provenza told him. Andy grunted and leaned back and closed his eyes. Provenza nodded to Sharon, and he put his arm on Rusty's shoulder as the two left. He closed the door as he walked into the hall.

Andy waited until he head the door close, and then he cleared his throat, "Sharon, you don't have to sit here with me. I'm sure I scared you. I'm sorry, and I'm also sorry I made a mess at the condo. We both know very well that blood is hard to get cleaned up, and I promise if I get through this surgery, I'l find a way to make it up to you."

"Please, just stop," Sharon sighed. She shook her head, still standing in the same spot by the chair. Andy eyed her, and she looked to the ceiling and closed her eyes. "Andy, I don't care about the condo right now. I really think that we-," she paused and continued, "I really think we need to focus on your surgery, she nodded. She had planned for something entirely different to come out of her mouth, but when it came time to form the words, she'd played it safe. When it came to her emotions, Sharon always seemed to play it safe, and right now, being cautious wasn't necessarily a good idea.


	23. Chapter 23

The room was silent for a few moments. Sharon could see Andy was in pain; he grimaced each time he closed his eyes, and she wasn't sure if it was easier for him to have them open or closed. She stood, rigid, in her spot, arms crossed, as she glanced up at the ceiling. The whole room felt cold and the situation, awkward.

"Sharon, why don't you have a seat?" Andy suggested when he opened his eyes and looked at her. "You've been standing there since I was brought into the room. "I know you're worried, but sit and relax."

Sharon nodded and sat in the chair, which was still in the corner of the room. She crossed her legs and folded her hands on her knees as she turned toward him.

"Sharon, if it didn't hurt to roll my eyes now, I would. You can move closer. I'm not going to bite; I'm not even going to touch you. I've respected that the past few years, and surely, you can't think I'd do anything inappropriate lying here in this bed. I wouldn't think of doing anything inappropriate with you at any point," he sighed, realizing his words were getting all jumbled. "If you want to stay in the corner, stay, but it seems silly trying to carry on a conversation from that far away."

Sharon dropped her head; she knew Andy was right. Here he was, injured and in need of life-saving surgery, and he was correcting the situation. Sharon met his gaze and nodded. She stood and pulled the chair closer to his bed. He just watched in silence. It wasn't as if Andy could do anything to help. Once Sharon got seated in the chair, she realized it was even more awkward. The chair was so much lower than the bed, and Andy was in too much pain to turn his head. She sighed as she stood, and then she moved the chair back to the corner, turned, and she returned to his bedside and sat on the end of his bed, at least at eye level with Andy.

Andy just continued to watch, and when Sharon was finally seated, he raised his eyebrows at her. She could see that even that hurt him; he really was in pain and had taken a hard blow to his head.

"How are you feeling?" she asked with an almost desperate tone to her voice.

"Better," he nodded, "at least better with you are sitting right there, and I don't have to try and focus on you across the room. My vision is a little blurry too from the fall, and the room is still spinning. I have a splitting headache."

"Well," she offered a lighthearted shrug, the first time she'd relaxed at all, "you did split your head there. A splitting headache isn't a surprise." Sharon surprised herself with her almost playful banter. Maybe she was finally relaxing, finally seeing that Andy was still alive, right here in front of her, even if he did still need surgery. She moved her hand to his hairline to see the damage he'd done. She brushed his hair aside, keeping mind of the bandage and the wound. She didn't put much pressure on it, but she almost traced the spot to touch it for herself.

"Andy, it looks awful," she sighed. Her touch was light, as she knew he was in pain, but he closed his eyes at her touch. He just hummed in agreement with her rather obvious statement.

"I can't even give my standard line about seeing the other guy, you know, like from a fight. The other guy is your bathroom, the counter and floor. Verdict is the bathroom won. Bathroom-one, Andy-zero," he sighed. He opened his eyes when Sharon pulled her hand back and folded her hands on her knee.

"It's a good thing Rusty was with you and knew what to do," Sharon nodded. "You could have been alone, and it could be so much worse," she sighed. The two were quiet again. She finally looked to him, "Oh, do you want me to call your kids?"

He shook his head and grimaced at the pain, "No, not yet. They can't do anything. Neither are in town. Look, I'll wait for the doc to confirm my surgery for tomorrow morning, and then, I'll call Nic. It would be easier if she heard from me, you know, that I'm not dead or something. Plus, I don't want to give her the wrong idea with you calling. I know you're here as a friend, a colleague, and I don't want Nic to get the wrong idea again. We've had that problem the last couple years, Nic making wrong assumptions."

Sharon nodded and opened her mouth to say something, and then she quickly closed it. She gathered her thought again and then spoke, "Andy, I'm always happy to call Nicole. I'm sure she'd rather hear from me than from Provenza. I adore Nicole. No matter what," she reached over and squeezed his hand. It was resting at his side, inches from her hand, and then she continued, "I care about you too. I don't want anything to happen to you. We can't lose you. Work would never be the same. I would never be the same," she admitted.

Andy looked to her with that admission. He took a few moments to process it, aware that he reflexes, thoughts, feelings, really everything, yes, Andy was off. Yes, she'd said she wouldn't be the same. He had two options; he could address the work comment or the personal one.

"You mentioned work," he chose the safer path. Sharon who was staring at her hand, now holding tightly onto his, looked up quickly, met his gaze, and she looked down again.

"That's right," she sighed, almost in silent relief of Andy's course of action. "When you are better and back on your feet, we need you back at work. It's where you belong," she nodded to herself, almost like she'd just convinced herself of that.

"Listen, you don't need to make any decisions, now, Sharon," he sighed. "I get it that things are emotional right now, but we agreed to hash out things in a few days, although, I might need a few extra days now with my little fall."

Sharon shook he head and squeezed his hand again, this time, Andy looked to it too. "Andy, you belong in Major Crimes. It's been awful looking at your empty desk there; I don't like it."

Andy remained silent for a few moments, and then he cleared his throat, "Thank you, Sharon. I won't hold it against you if you change your mind once things settle. It's been awful these weeks. I know that. I know it's been hard on both of us. I'll respect whatever you decide. I just can't take you resenting me every moment you see me."

"I don't want to resent you," she admitted, possibly the first honest thing she'd told him in a very long time. "I really don't. I don't want you to resent me either, to hate me for causing you so much heartache."

"Sharon, we don't have to do this now," Andy sighed. He leaned back and closed his eyes. Sharon nodded and looked to the floor.

"Right, I'm sorry. I just want you to know you have a job when you are back on your feet, a job with me, your job. I don't want that to change," she told him.

The door opened, and Sharon quickly withdrew her hand from Andy's. His eyes fluttered open at the loss of contact, and he looked toward her; her hands were back on her knees. She turned to the door, as did Andy, where Provenza and Rusty entered. It felt like they'd just left, but over a half hour had gone by already.

"Captain, they were out of coffee, so it took us a little longer while they made a fresh pot," Provenza said as he handed her the cup. Provenza had his own cup in his other hand. He eyed the two of them, Sharon sitting there on the edge of the bed, and Andy lying there, his eyes opening and closing as he was trying to find some comfort.

"Thank you," she said as her hands took the coffee. They were still a bit shaky, but the warm liquid seemed to calm her body. She took a sip, looked to Andy again, and then to Provenza and Rusty. "Rusty, I see you found a shirt."

Rusty now had on a sweatshirt, one that was a typical tourist type of shirt. "Yeah, the lieutenant bought it for me in the gift shop. It was all they had."

Andy cracked open an eye at Provenza, "Am I dead? Did I just hear you say you bought something for someone else? Rusty, make sure he didn't charge that to Sharon's credit card," he chuckled softly.

Rusty grinned, "I'm sure he didn't. In all the commotion, I left my wallet at home, so no credit cards on me. I managed to grab yours, though, Lieutenant," Rusty produced it from his pocket. The bag of Andy's rings and other things was still on the small table by the chair. "I promise I didn't let him use your credit card to buy me this shirt."

"I should have used Flynn's card," Provenza nodded in agreement. "After all, that's why we are all here."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Sharon nodded. "I appreciate you taking care of Rusty. Where's Patrice?' she asked, looking behind him like she was hiding.

"Oh," he gestured to the door, "she ran into two of her old colleagues in the hall. She'll be right in, probably with more medical information than any of us can tell her about Dizzy's current condition."

"Look, guys," Andy sighed, "I'm just an old man lying here in this bed. You don't need to worry about me or fuss over me. I'm sure you have more important and interesting things you'd rather be doing today. Please, don't stay here. Go, and I'll be fine. I don't require anyone watching me now because the hospital is here, full of doctors and nurses."

"Flynn, you need to come up with a better way to hit on the young nurses," Provenza smirked at him.

Andy gave him an annoyed and pointed look, "Not interested," he said crisply. "I'm not interested in the least. Look, I'm serious. I'm not worth the fuss."

Sharon sighed and shook her head. She looked to Rusty and Provenza. "I think maybe we should take shifts?" she suggested, ignoring Andy's plea.

"I can do shifts," Provenza nodded, "as long as I'm not here overnight."

Sharon pursed her lips, "I think he will be fine overnight. One can stay late, and one can come early tomorrow."

"Sharon, please," Andy pleaded. "I'm not worth it. Go, enjoy your evening. You've checked on me. I'll be here; I'm not going anywhere, and tomorrow, they'll take out the clot. Go, get dinner. In fact, see if your lawyer guy wants to get dinner," he rolled his eyes and grimaced as he did that. Any movement hurt right now.

"Lawyer guy?" Rusty questioned. He raised his eyebrows and looked to Sharon. Provenza was looking between Sharon and Andy, and he groaned as Rusty mentioned his question.

"Rusty, I think you and I need to check on Patrice," he motioned for Rusty to leave. "She might be wandering around this building looking for us."

"She came up to the floor with us," Rusty pointed out as he was being ushered out the door. Provenza closed the door quickly behind him, leaving another awkward scene.

Sharon cleared her throat and looked to her hands. They were now gripping the side of Andy's bed. "Andy," she said as she let out a long breath, "I need to grow up and act my age. There's no lawyer." He looked to her, the surprise evident on his face as he tried to figure out what she was saying. "I mean, there was. I did go on a date, but it didn't go anywhere from that point."

"Sharon, you don't need to explain," he sighed.

"I do! Andy, he was very kind, very charming," she gave him a small smile. "He wasn't you."

Andy's expression changed, and he looked to her, questioning anything she was saying. She rolled her eyes and looked to the ceiling, "I didn't even get through dinner with him. It was all me, all my fault. I wasn't ready. I thought I was. I thought I was ready to date, and I wasn't. I started crying in the middle of dinner, and I asked to leave. He did nothing wrong."

"You told me you went on a date," he said firmly, somewhat irritated at how things had played out since she'd admitted about the date.

"I know!" she exclaimed. "I realize I was playing games, have been for a long time, and I need to stop. It's not good for me, for either of us. The truth is just that, I went on a date with a man, a lawyer friend of Andrea's, and I couldn't even get to our main entrée. I won't be seeing him again."

"So, the little admission," he started to get agitated as he gestured and raised his voice, "that was just to get back at me?"

"No! Yes!" she exclaimed and sighed. The door opened, and a nurse walked into the room. "I'm right out the door," she gestured, "at the nurse's station. Mr. Flynn, you need to relax. We can't have you agitated. Your monitor started going off at the desk."

"I'm sorry," Sharon sighed and stood as the nurse moved to check Andy's vitals. "That's my fault. Andy, I'm sorry," she reached over and put her hand on his to hopefully calm him and reassure him. "This isn't the time to be upsetting you."

"I'm fine!" Andy said, a little more exasperated than he'd been before. The nurse eyed him, and she shook her head.

"Mr. Flynn, we need you to relax. Your doctor isn't going to be happy with you or with me if you don't calm down," she said. Sharon, who had stepped back enough so the nurse could do her work, bit her lip and shook her head. She knew she was the reason for Andy's agitated state, and when the nurse looked to Sharon, Sharon just shook her head.

"I promise nothing else will upset him," she nodded. The nurse returned the nod.

"I'm keeping watch on your vitals out there" she pointed toward the desk. "Your doctor will be in later, and let's try to keep things calm in here, got it?"

"I will," Andy raised his hand in silent resignation. The nurse left again, and Sharon, who was still standing there with her arms crossed, sighed as she turned to the window.

"I think, perhaps, it would be best if Provenza were to take the first shift with you," she said.

"I'm fine," he said crisply. "No one needs to sit here and babysit me."

Sharon turned around toward him again, "I'm not trying to start anything again. I'm sorry I upset you; we can talk later."

"It sounds like we have plenty to discuss now," Andy looked to her, a questioning expression on his face.

Sharon shook her head, "I can't be the cause of your stress or worry. Your health is on the line."

"Little late for that," he sighed. Sharon just nodded.

"I'm going to see if Provenza and Patrice are outside," she sighed. She looked at Andy, the sadness evident on her face, "I'll let you rest. I'm sorry I'm the cause of your stress. I'll check in on you later."

Andy looked away, and Sharon gathered her purse and coffee. Without another word, she walked to the door, took a deep breath, and she opened it. She was mad at herself for leaving things this way, but she wasn't sure what she should do. Andy's health was at stake, and she had already been the cause of his most recent stress, and well probably, if she were to be truthful, the cause of his stress over the last several weeks, if not longer.

"Why aren't you in there with Flynn?" Provenza eyed her as she walked up to him near the waiting area. He was standing there looking at the television. Rusty was seated in a chair, and Patrice was visible down the hall talking to two of her friends.

Sharon walked up to him, "I'm upsetting him right now."

He rolled his eyes, "And? What's new? We're not at work, and I'm not on the clock, so I can say this without fear of being insubordinate, but you are as big of an idiot as Flynn is. If I wasn't worried Flynn could throw that clot, I'd probably lock you in that room with him to figure out your mess."

Sharon closed her eyes as she faced him, "Lieutenant, everyone's stress is elevated right now."

"Right, that's all it is, just right now," he sighed. "You need to get your head on straight. You've both messed up, but right here, right now, you're killing the guy. Lawyer," he said with a disgusted sigh. "Stop playing games, both of you! Right now, go home. Come back when you figure things out, and," he glared at her, "that had better be BEFORE he goes into surgery."


	24. Chapter 24

I've been working on this chapter for a few days. I promise it will get better. Unlike the show's promises, please know I mean that! Thanks to those who are still reading. I appreciate it, and if you need something light and funny to read, I posted a funny Proflynnza story earlier today.

* * *

Sharon did as Provenza suggested, or perhaps ordered, her to do. She collected Rusty, and the two went home. She barely registered anything on the drive home; she was in quite a state, and Rusty wasn't much better. Of course, their reasons were quite different. Sharon had a mess with Andy, but Rusty had just been through a traumatic event. Even as much as Rusty might claim to be irritated by Andy or annoyed he had been around the condo so much, Sharon knew Rusty really liked Andy and respected him. As much as she wanted to focus solely on her mess, she realized Rusty needed her too.

"He's going to be okay," Sharon choked out that sentence, trying to convince herself if it just as much as she was convincing him.

Rusty, who had been staring on the window, turned to her, "Sharon, it was like a lot of blood. Are they really going to be able to get the clot?"

"They are," Sharon's voice cracked, and she took a deep breath so she didn't start to cry. "I have faith everything will work out with Andy."

"So, I'm not totally sure what's going on with the surgery part. The doctor said something about the lieutenant's blood pressure and labs being off, and surgery has to wait?" Rusty asked her.

Sharon nodded as she tried to focus on driving, "Yes, his doctor said his labs need to stabilize. They are planning to do surgery in the morning."

"Is that why you left? I thought you would stay there until he has surgery. Sharon, I don't know what's going on with you, but I know you still are worried about him," he said.

Sharon sighed, and she shook her head, "Of course, I'm worried, Rusty. He's a friend, a colleague," she trailed off in thought.

Rusty turned and looked at her, "Lieutenant Provenza said you and the lieutenant have a lot of unresolved issues and can't stand the idea of either being with anyone else."

Sharon eyed him quickly while she tried to focus on driving, "It's complicated, Rusty."

"How about you uncomplicated it, Sharon?" Rusty asked her. "Look, I don't know what I'd do if I was in your shoes. I know I'm not relationship expert; I'm probably the last person to say anything, but you realize you spent years sending me to Catholic school where they pound the idea of forgiveness. I get it if you think sometimes things are unforgivable. I'm not sure how I even feel, but I'd say from what I know neither of you are perfect; you've both made tons of mistakes, and when you are together, you're either completely miserable or completely happy. The miserable part has been the last few weeks, and the happy part was before this was all a mess. Lieutenant Provenza was telling Patrice that he think you and the lieutenant need to figure this mess out before it kills one of you."

Sharon hummed as she listened, "Thank you for the insight and advice, Rusty. It's a mess. Somehow, my personal relationships always become a mess. Jack was a mess, and while he was the one who left, I wasn't perfect either. I thought I had learned from some of those mistakes; mine were mainly about communication with him, but apparently, I have not. I'm lousy with relationships, and I'm not sure that will ever change."

Rusty frowned, "Well, the the lieutenant told me he was lousy with relationships too, once when we were playing chess," he explained. "We got to talking about something-I can't even remember-but he was got all nostalgic and said he seemed to mess up anything good that had come into his life and had decided he was lousy at relationships."

"Well, see, there are things that you cannot change. Sometimes, it's better to step back and not hurt anyone else," she said as she pulled into their parking garage.

Rusty eyed her, "Sometimes, it's better to start over, too, and take a chance," he shrugged.

Rusty's comment stuck with her the rest of the evening. Sharon often found answers in her talks with Rusty, sometimes answers to case issues, and now, apparently, sometimes answers to personal ones.

Sharon didn't want to further upset Andy, but she finally acknowledged she needed to speak with him; she finally needed to address things with him. Her feelings, feelings she expected to just go away or at least fade away, weren't. They were only making her more miserable, and she knew she needed to address them with Andy.

Throughout the evening, Sharon texted back and forth with Provenza. He had stayed with Andy, and he'd eventually sent Patrice home. He told Sharon that Andy's blood pressure had returned to almost normal, and he was resting comfortably. Provenza also told Sharon he planned to stay until 10:00 or whenever Andy drifted off to sleep for the night. The surgery was on track for the morning, but the doctor hadn't been by with an exact time. Sharon told Provenza that she would be by in the morning to take that shift. Provenza's texts to Sharon had been short and direct; it was clear he was tired of being in the middle of the mess she and Andy had created. After telling Provenza she would be by in the morning, he simply said, "Do the right thing."

That hung with Sharon all night. The right thing? It was almost like Provenza knew exactly what that was, but even Sharon wasn't sure about that herself. As she tried to sleep, the 'do the right thing' kept her awake; she couldn't sleep and hated the idea of Andy lying there alone in the hospital room, injured and in need of serious surgery. Somewhere around 4:00, Sharon resigned to the idea that she wouldn't be sleeping at all that night. She decided to go in early, and by 4:30, she was heading out the door. She'd showered the night before, trying to shake the lousy day from herself, but it hadn't worked. She still felt lousy, but she knew she needed to address things with Andy. Here, she had spent the majority of her adult life around Jack, a man who had trashed their marriage with infidelity. She continued to let him come back into her life over and over. Now that she had finally untangled herself from him, she found herself with Andy in a somewhat similar situation. Yes, she was aware they weren't a couple and officially weren't together, but still, it stung. It wasn't fair to compare, but she wasn't exactly thinking clearly either. She was human. She also knew she basically turned him away, and for that, she was the idiot to not realize what a mess she had made. She needed to fix it.

"Excuse me," she said, with a choked voice as she walked up to the nurse at the station. Sharon had arrived at the hospital right at 5:00, and by the time she'd navigated the building to his room, it was 5:15. She knew it was early, even before visiting hours, but Sharon had decided that for once, she was going to go against the rules. Funny, she had no problem with them when she needed to get work done, but when it came to her personal life, she was ready to pull her badge if questioned. She'd even clipped it on her pants just for the morning and might have made it visible as she walked through the hospital.

"Yes," the nurse glanced up to her, and with the low counter, Sharon saw the nurse's eyes scan over her badge. She smiled at Sharon. "Your badge," she nodded, "are you here about the lieutenant down the hall? It's been a slow night up here; he's one of four patients we have right now."

Sharon gave her a soft smile and nodded, "Yes, I'm here about Lieutenant Flynn. I'm his boss; he's a friend," she gestured with her hands, feeling her cheeks turn red. "I just checked his room, and well, did he go for more testing already?" Sharon asked, now a bit concerned.

The nurse pursed her lips, "No, he was just taken to surgery, pre-op," she told Sharon. "He's the first one of the day."

"He was already taken for surgery?" Sharon asked, the panic seeping out of her voice. "I thought that would be later today. I really need to speak with him."

"I'm sorry," the nurse gave her a sympathetic smile. "We asked him earlier if he had anyone he'd like us to call. He said he was fine on his own, and it was better if he just did this on his alone. We offered to call his medical proxy. You're not family, are you? He didn't mention family. You said you're his boss?"

Sharon sighed and dropped her head, "No, I'm not family. I'm a close friend and yes, his boss. He's been out of sorts with this. I would have been here. No," she shook her head, "I should have been here."

"You are welcome to wait in the lounge here," she gestured to the area next to the station, "or in his room, but it might be awhile. I believe his surgery was scheduled for 6:00. It might be a few hours before he's back in his room."

Sharon bit her lip, holding back her tears, "Thank you for your help. I am not leaving. I realize I'm not family, but whatever you are allowed to tell me, whatever I can know, I'd appreciate it," she said, her voice now shaky. The nurse reached over and patted her hand.

"He's in good hands. I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name," she gave Sharon a sympathetic smile again.

"Sharon," she choked out. "Sharon Raydor. Andy's family is not in town right now. Yesterday, I was here along with Lieutenant Louie Provenza, his medical proxy. I realize you cannot break confidentiality, but if you could at least tell me when he's out of surgery, I would be very grateful."

"I can do that, Sharon," she nodded at her. She had her hand nearby Sharon's, and she reached over and squeezed it. "My shift ends here at 7:00, but I will tell the day nursing staff you are here. My name is Melanie if you need anything else."

"Thank you, Melanie," Sharon said with the tears in her eyes. "You mentioned I could wait in his room?"

"You can," she nodded. "He won't be back for awhile, but yes, there's a chair in there.

"Thank you; I'll be in there. I guess I'll get a cup of coffee right now. I rushed over here and didn't get breakfast," Sharon told her.

"Blueberry muffins," the nurse nodded. Sharon looked to her, confused at the comment.

"I'm sorry?" Sharon asked.

"If you are hungry, have a blueberry muffin. They are the best thing in the cafeteria. Not much is homemade, but those are. I don't know what is your drink of choice, but the coffee is strong. I prefer their tea," she told Sharon.

"Thank you," Sharon held back a tear. "I'm a tea drinker myself. I suppose I should get something to eat. It will be a long day." Sharon nodded and walked toward the elevator. She pulled out her phone, hoping that focusing on a text to Provenza would keep her from crying. She'd done it again; she'd messed up. Andy deserved better. Here, she'd been selfish and hidden at home. She'd been a coward and hidden her feelings from Andy. Provenza had told her to talk to him before surgery, and here, she'd even messed that up too. She had been hiding on many levels.

"At the hospital, but he was already taken to surgery. Set for 6:00. No rush. I'll keep you posted," she told Provenza in her text.

Provenza texted her back immediately, "I'm staying away because you need to take control of the situation. If you can't figure out what that means, I will show up there tonight, and trust me, after a day of doing paperwork off your desk and Flynn not there to irritate, I will be sparing for a fight. You'll be first on my list."

Sharon sighed at the text. He was right; she needed to handle things, but first, she needed to make sure Andy made it through the surgery. As she exited the elevator on the ground floor, she looked to the lobby signs. The chapel was in the same direction as the cafeteria, so she decided to stop there first.

The chapel helped. She prayed alone for a few minutes. The silence of the chapel allowed her to refocus, recenter, and she lit a candle, and then she sat again, losing herself in prayer and thought. Until that moment, Sharon hadn't thought much about praying for her current situation, for guidance in her struggles with Andy, but by the time she left there, a full half hour after she'd entered, she had a calming sense she hadn't had before. She made a quick stop in the cafeteria where she did get a muffin and a cup of tea before she returned upstairs. She made eye contact with the nurse as she walked by the station and briefly held up her muffin and tea. She nodded toward Andy's room, and the nurse gave her a small smile, "No update yet from surgery. I haven't even heard if they started on time."

"Thank you," Sharon told her. "I'll be in his room."

Sharon looked around the room hoping for some sign of Andy. She didn't see anything, not even his reading glasses that he hid from most of the world. She knew he wore them. He didn't wear them at work, but he reserved them for home. She was one of just a few who even knew he had them. Provenza would have known too, but no one had been to Andy's house. She should have done that; she should have gone to his home to bring him some comforts from home, his glasses for one, but also things like slippers, his robe, and she let out a loud sigh that she'd been so dense as to not have done that.

Sharon sat in the silence, staring at the bland walls, and she started to tear up again because it hit her that in all this, in all her mental mess, she had never read the letter from Andy. She broke down at that realization. That letter, it was still sitting in her drawer, and he'd obviously had something important enough to say to her, he'd written it not once, but twice. He'd spent time, obviously worried about their relationship, to write her two copies of the letter, knowing she might be so angry that she would tear up a copy. She had thought about throwing the letter away initially, but she'd stuffed it in the drawer of her desk. Now, she realized that all along, she just couldn't completely rid herself of Andy Flynn. She didn't want to even then, and she realized that she certainly didn't want to do that now.

Her meltdown, the waterfall of tears, had her searching around the room for tissues. She tried the bathroom first, but ironically, there were none there. She eyed the chest of drawers next to the bed, and when she opened the first, she found Andy's watch, phone, and sobriety ring there. Provenza most likely had his wallet, but those items, she knew he would have wanted to have them overnight. She found a box of tissues alongside Andy's personal items, but as she pulled out a few, she also noticed Andy's handwriting on something under his phone. She could just see the light scrawl, his unmistakable handwriting, and she moved the corner of the phone to see what it was.

"Sharon," it simply said with nothing else on the paper. It was a folded piece of paper, on what looked like a hospital notepad. She withdrew her hand quickly, almost as if she was surprised to see her own name. She was surprised she'd come across something with her name on it. She internally struggled with what she should do. She ended up trusting her gut, something she hadn't done regarding Andy for a long time, something she'd just prayed about in the chapel, and she delicately pulled the letter from the drawer.

Sharon.

Her name. So simple, yet it looked so alone there in Andy's scrawl. She grabbed the box of tissues because she had a feeling she'd need them, and she walked back to her chair. She slowly sat, almost as if she was afraid she'd destroy the letter if she did anything too quickly. She opened the paper; it was folded in half, and she saw a very simple note.

"Sharon-I'm sorry for everything. It's always been you, and I gave up on us when you freaked out. I should have fought harder. If you are reading this, I'm gone. Please, with everything, try to remember the good. We were good; we were best friends. Hold onto that. Find someone who makes you happy and fight for him until your last breath. I wish I had. No word of affection can express what I need to say, so I'll just end this with Andy, your once, trusted lieutenant whom I wish could have not lost that trust."

Sharon continued to cry as she poured over the paper. She never wanted this. She really always wanted him, but on her timeline, with her rules, even if she'd never considered what that timeline might be and what rules she'd require. He'd respected that, and when he'd felt she was ready, he'd gently prodded her for more. Prodded might not even be the best word. He'd simply asked. He'd been a guy asking out a girl. That had been all, and she'd ruined that. She'd ruined them; she'd ruined everything. From that moment, each moment after had been a snowball effect of her giving a response, the wrong response. Now, it might be too late to fix it.

It took Sharon another 15 minutes to calm herself. She washed her face and applied the small amount of makeup she carried in her bag. It wasn't much; she still looked terrible, but it gave her something to do while she was waiting for news. Andy. The surgery was taking a long time, and she needed him to pull through it. She needed to start fixing things because truly, things were currently at rock bottom. She was at rock bottom.

Time continued to pass at a snail's pace. She didn't know how it was possible to fall asleep in her state, but she did. Chalk it up to complete mental and physical exhaustion, but Sharon woke with a start to find an unfamiliar face looking at her and a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Ma'am? Ahh, Captain," she said glancing at Sharon's badge. Sharon's eyes flew open, and she shifted to sit up, as she had slumped in the chair. The nurse stepped back to give Sharon space.

"Yes," she said with a tearful look, and she looked to her hand where she had a tissue tightly fisted in her palm.

"I was asked to update you as I can. It's just after 8:00 now. The lieutenant is out of surgery. I can't get into too much detail; you will have to ask him once he's talked to the doctor, but the procedure is finished. They ran into complications, but he's in recovery."

Sharon's tears returned, "Complications? Will he be okay?"

"I've only been told he is in recovery, but that is a good sign. If anything was wrong, we would have been told. We haven't been told anything out of the ordinary, but just that it took longer than planned due to complications," she offered a small smile.

"Thank you," Sharon choked out. "How much longer until he's brought back to the room?"

"It could be within the hour, but it could be still longer than that. You are welcome to stay here because when he is out of recovery, he will be brought back here," she explained.

"I'll stay," Sharon nodded. "I'm not leaving, not without making some amends myself."


	25. Chapter 25

Sharon almost jumped out of her chair when the door opened, and she saw Andy being wheeled back into the room. She moved to the side so his bed could be situated, and her eyes quickly scanned over him, almost as a new parent does with a baby. He looked intact; he looked pale and sick, but he was there in front of her. He also was asleep or unconscious; she wasn't sure, so she looked to the nurse who had walked in with them.

"Is he awake? What's his status?" Sharon asked.

"Are you his wife?"the nurse asked.

"No," Sharon sighed, as she shook her head. "I'm a friend. He's not married."

"Next of kin?" Sharon heard her ask, and she shook her head again.

"Andy and I are friends; we work together. I'm his boss. His children are out of town, and his best friend, another one of my lieutenants is at work. He's his medical proxy. I can get him here if needed. Can you tell me anything?" Sharon asked again.

The nurse nodded, "He woke up briefly in recovery, but I have to be honest that he's exhausted. He could sleep for most of the day. The surgery is complete. The surgeon will speak to him when he wakes up, but for now, he just needs rest and will be groggy as he's in and out of sleep."

"Okay, thank you," Sharon nodded. She could deal with that, for now. She nodded her thanks to the team who had delivered Andy safely to her here in his room. She looked to him as they left the room, and she bit her lip. He looked helpless; he looked hurt. His head had a bandage on the side from where he'd hit the floor. She could see a trace of the stitches sticking out from the bandage. His face was bruised and swollen. He had a new bandage on the side of his neck, obviously from where the surgery had been done. He had wires coming out of him, all over the place, giving an almost frightening appearance. His arm and hands had marks from tape and other IV's that had been placed. Clearly, the man had been poked, prodded, and operated on more in the last few days than he would have wanted in a lifetime. He looked a big scary, but underneath it all, he was still Andy, the Andy Sharon needed as her Andy. Sharon looked around the room and with nothing else in sight but the same chair she had been sitting in the last few hours, she turned to it and pulled it up to the side of his bed. Just yesterday, the chair had been so wrong for their situation. She had needed to be at eye level with him to talk to him. That, obviously, hadn't gone well, but for today, the chair would work. She could sit in chair and wait for him to wake. Right now, there was nowhere else to go; she wasn't about to leave his side, not when she was finally realizing what a life without Andy in it would mean.

Sharon sat, and as she was situating herself, her phone vibrated in her pocket; she'd turned off the sound. She pulled it out and found a text from Provenza. Before sitting, she quickly updated him, telling him that Andy was back in his room, but sleeping. She slipped her phone into her pocket, but as she started to sit, it buzzed again. She sighed and pulled it out.

"I'll check in at lunch. He's my best friend, but he's your mess. Untangle it."

Sharon sighed and sat in the chair. She kicked off her shoes and folded her feet up under her to get comfortable. She'd found a blanket earlier, and she put it over her lap again. The room was cold, and it was making her cold. She instantly reached for Andy's hand, placing hers in it. It fit like it always had, perfectly in hers, and she squeezed it once lightly. It was cool to the touch, but his hand was familiar. She was so stupid. How many times had she held that hand? More than she could count-that was the answer. The more she thought about it, they'd been dating a long time, just apparently on her strict terms. It wasn't like she had ever told Andy he couldn't kiss her, but who was she kidding? A kiss from Andy before all of this, and she probably would have run for the hills, or at least New York. She probably would have wanted to distance herself from him, scared of the implications of a kiss, and she probably would have taken a few days off to go see Emily. Sharon had been bad with her relationships for too long. She'd hidden, she'd refused to address issues, and it all needed to stop.

Andy's hand felt right in hers. She ran her finger on the side of his hand and tried to remember the first time she'd held it. She smiled because that was an easy thing to remember. It had been after the team had disposed of Daniel Dunn, Rusty's biological father. The team had made sure he signed away his parental rights, and once they had been done dealing with him, Provenza had ushered Rusty out of the room. Sharon had waited, arms crossed for Daniel to finish, and with a quick nod to Andy and Julio, he was escorted from the room and out of the office. Sharon had collected the paperwork and retreated to her office with it. When Andy had returned, he had poked his head into Sharon's office, where she stood in he middle of her office with the paperwork in hand.

"You did a good thing, Captain," he'd told her. She nodded, still looking at the paperwork. He moved further into the room and stood next to her. He looked down at the paperwork she held in her hand. "Rusty has no idea just how much that changes his life. He will one day. That paperwork gives him a chance now at a real family, whatever that might look like for him. He's got a chance, parents, siblings, maybe someday," he shrugged. Sharon gave him a small smile the idea of a somewhat normal life for Rusty seeming almost surreal, and she gestured with her hand.

"I just want the best for Rusty, and Daniel Dunn was not it," she said nodding. Andy reached for her hand and squeezed it. He didn't hold it long, just long enough to meet her gaze and give her a smile, yet somehow, the touch of it jolted Sharon. She met his gaze and then his smile.

"You're the best thing for Rusty. I have no doubt," and with that, he let go of her hand, nodded to her, and he walked to the other door and out to his desk.

That moment, that memory, she carried it still now, the first time he'd ever held her hand. It had been a simple moment, but somehow, it changed something. She thought to another time he'd held her hand, Nicole's wedding. Truth be told, she'd held his hand as much as he'd held hers. Obviously, it was a two-way street; you didn't hold hands without the person wanting it, but Sharon found herself that night reaching for his hand as much as he reached for hers. It helped them both. They held hands at the church, quite a bit through dinner as various family members stopped by to greet Andy (under the table as to not stir up more conversations), and even in the car on the way home as he was somewhat nostalgic. The night had been a big turning point once again.

Now, as she sat here in his room, listening to him sleep, she continued to run her fingers over their clasped hands. They'd held hands a lot since Nicole's wedding too, often as they took long walks on the beach. Sharon always loved to loop her arm through his, and Andy often reached up and clasped their fingers together as they walked. It always felt natural. More and more as she spent time with him at family events, movies, and other outings, their hands always found their way to each other. Sharon realized the lines had blurred a long time ago, and she had been in a relationship with this man far longer than she had even realized. Even last night as she'd thought about the two of them, she just hadn't realized it. Andy was her Andy; he was the man she'd always wanted around in her life. Jack had never been there for her like Andy had been the last few years, and when Andy had finally just asked her, his best friend, just asked to take her to a romantic dinner, she'd been an idiot.

Sharon had been a huge idiot, and she had started this awful, awful mess.

That didn't let Andy off the hook at all, but it was a two-way street. Relationships involved two people, and while sometimes, one person could do a lot to sabotage things, there were still two parties involved. Nothing would be easy; Sharon knew she had a lot of damage control to address. Andy had his share too, but she couldn't just walk away; she'd come to that conclusion.

She felt Andy start to stir, and her eyes flew up to his. She'd been looking at their hands, and at the first jostle, she looked up to see if he was waking up. She noticed he grimaced, even with his eyes closed and hoped he wasn't in too much pain. He was so stubborn, but she rolled her eyes at that because she wasn't any better. As he started to move more, he squeezed her hand, something she could almost tell was a reaction; she didn't believe he knew he was even holding her hand. It felt like a squeeze of pain, trying to grimace as he moved. She stood and moved in a little closer to see if he was awake. He shifted more, and she ran her free hand over his hair.

Andy's eyes opened after that, probably aware someone was near him even if he wasn't registering that Sharon was holding his hand. Sharon took a deep breath when he opened his eyes. He grimaced in pain again, and she ran her hand down his arm to try and calm him. He winced, and she shook her head.

"Just rest," she said quietly to him. "Your surgery is over. Rest," she said again. At this point, Andy's eyes opened a little more to try and focus on her, the voice trying to calm him. Sharon didn't think; she leaned over and kissed him. It wasn't a little peck on the cheek; she kissed him on the lips and pulled back. Andy closed his eyes again, and within a few moments, she could tell he'd fallen asleep once again. She sighed, but she nodded as an acknowledgement that he was awake, or he had been awake. Right now, he needed rest, and she'd sit here with him until he was awake and alert.

Sharon sat back down in the chair, her hand still in his, and the full realization of what she'd just done hit her. She'd kissed him. She touched her lips and shook her head. It felt so right, so natural. She hadn't thought it through, hadn't weighed pros and cons; she'd just acted, and it had felt right. She hadn't frozen in the moment, nor had she had any visions of seeing him at home in his doorway with the woman. She'd kissed him. Finally, for the first time in a long time, she realized that she was maybe starting to move forward. Not everyone could make things work, but letting him go at this point seemed worse than dealing with their problems and moving forward together.

Sharon dug her phone out of her pocket, and with her free hand, she sent a quick text to Provenza telling him that Andy had awakened, but he was asleep again. Provenza replied telling her work was calm, and he would check in later. Sharon sat back in the chair and looked at Andy. She knew the lines on his face. She knew the feeling of curling up to his side from the many evenings they'd watched movies together. She didn't want to let that go; she didn't want to let him go. Andy coughing had her sit up and then stand up. She waited, hoping for further movement, but he seemed to relax and continue with his sleep. Sharon didn't want to leave his side, but after this long, she needed to use the bathroom. She heard the door to the room open while she was in there finishing, and she walked back into Andy's room to find the doctor had arrived.

"Ahh, Captain, right?"she looked to Sharon, and Sharon nodded.

"Yes, Dr. Lieu, we met yesterday. Please call me Sharon. He's been sleeping since they brought him back to the room. He woke up momentarily a few minutes ago, but he went right back to sleep."

Dr. Lieu nodded, "He might do that for a few more hours. He had some trouble with the medication we gave him, but he should be okay. I can't go into further details of his surgery without him awake because you aren't family, but I'd say give him a few more hours."

"Thank you," Sharon nodded."I'm not planning to go anywhere. I'll be right here."

"He's going to need to stay here for several days. We need to get him into physical therapy, and once he is discharged, he will need some care at home. He mentioned he lives alone, so that is something that will need to be decided. He can go to a rehab center if needed. That isn't a problem," the doctor explained.

Sharon shook her head, "That won't be necessary. He can stay with me. He was staying in my condo before all this happened when he needed someone to watch him for dizziness. My son was the one who called 911 when he fell. I will care for him," she gave a single nod.

"That's fine. I'll be back later to check on Mr. Flynn. Some boss," she shook her head.

Sharon blushed and met Dr. Lieu's glance. She gave her a soft smile and a roll of the eyes. Dr. Lieu gave a single nod, the understanding clear between the two, even if Sharon wasn't exactly sure what she could label her relationship with Andy right now.

"I'll be back later," she said again and walked out of the room with his chart in hand.

Sharon looked over to Andy, and she walked back to resume her seat. She pulled his hand back into hers, and this time, it felt warmer than it had, familiar. Sharon hoped that was a sign that he was working his way back to her, getting the rest he needed so she could talk to him when he was finally awake and alert.

Sharon started running her finger over his hand, and she did that for quite some time. Andy finally shifted again, and Sharon looked up to him. She'd been staring at their hands, and this time when she looked to him, she found his brown eyes staring back at her.

"Hi," she gave a watery smile, her eyes starting to fill with tears. She didn't even know why they were there. She knew he was going to be okay.

"Hi," he said somewhat gruffly. He coughed too, trying to wake up more.

"Would you like some water?" Sharon asked, and he closed his eyes with a nod. Sharon stood, and with that, she let go of his hand. She kept her eyes on Andy as she reached for the water the nurse had poured when they'd brought him back to the room. Andy's eyes trailed down to his hand, to where Sharon's hand had just been with his. It appeared he hadn't been aware she'd been holding his hand. Sharon's shaky hands poured him some water, and she fumbled for a straw. She turned to him with the cup and very gingerly, she helped him with a sip of water.

"Thank you," he said in his raspy voice as she put the water back on the tray. She turned back to him and her hand went back to his.

"How are you feeling?" Sharon asked, her voice calm and quiet.

"Tired, like I was hit by a truck," he grumbled.

Sharon nodded, "You were thrown from a car, so I suppose you do understand that feeling almost," she tried to smile and lighten the mood. He tried to chuckle, but it came out as another cough. "More water?" Sharon asked. He shook his head, and he leaned back and closed his eyes again.

"Room is still spinning some," he said with his eyes closed. Sharon nodded, even though she knew he wasn't watching her.

"I'm not going anywhere," she told him. "Just get some rest." Sharon squeezed his hand again, and she sat back in the chair. With Andy closing his eyes, it seemed silly to stand and keep staring at him.

"Was I dreaming?" Andy asked.

"I'm sorry?" Sharon asked him, sitting up more in the chair.

"Did you kiss me, or did I dream that?" Andy asked her. His voice was raspy, so she had to listen closely to make sure she was hearing him correctly.

"I did," she admitted, and as she continued to look at him, he cracked open his eyes again to look at her. She offered him a small smile.

"Sharon, of all the ways I've thought of kissing you in bed, this wasn't it! Why did you kiss me? I've waited years to do that, and now?" Andy scowled, using all his strength to tell her that comment. He closed his eyes again and grimaced at the pain, the effort it took to say that to her.

Sharon tried to hold back her half laugh half sob. She nodded, "I need you Andy. I needed you to know that, that I need you. Just rest now. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."


	26. Chapter 26

It would have been perfect if Andy would have opened his eyes widely and acknowledged what Sharon had said, but he didn't. He was so groggy from his surgery, but he did seem to hear Sharon. He squeezed her hand tightly, and he started to say something, but he seemed to drift off to sleep in mid-thought. Sharon replayed it over and over in her mind, "Sharon, you and I belong-" and he'd started snoring after that. What had he been trying to say? Was he going to say they belonged together? Maybe, he was going to say they belonged as far apart as they could be within the city limits of L.A. Sharon didn't really believe that; she could tell she was trying to put up her walls again, and she talked herself down by acknowledging that Andy WAS going to say something about the two of them belonging together.

Truth was, she knew that. She did belong with Andy. In spite of all the problems, all the hurt, all the blame, the two belonged together, and she was going to propose a clean slate when he was finally lucid enough to talk to her. The two could go in circles both apologizing and placing blame. Yes, sometimes, things were too big to overcome, and people were often too hurt to try and overcome them, but Sharon believed she and Andy had made a lifetime of mistakes and shared a lifetime of misery. For once, she was going to choose to be happy, to trust-even though that was a tough one, to share, to ultimately, open her heart to him. It was time; it was overdue in fact.

Andy continued to sleep, and Sharon chuckled at his light snore. He seemed so worn out from his surgery, and she was glad he was resting. A small knock at the door had her looking toward it, and she found a young man walking in with a tray of food.

"I'm delivering lunch trays," he said quietly when he noticed Andy sleeping. "If he sleeps through this, just have the nurse call down to the cafeteria. Today's tray has a chicken broth, Jell-O, and a basic salad," he told her. "You might want to eat it yourself if he's going to sleep. Better eat while it's hot," he smiled and left the tray. "I hope your husband gets better soon."

"Oh, he's not my -," Sharon sighed and rolled her eyes as he exited the room before she could even correct him. She turned back to Andy, her hand still in his, and she started to run her thumb over his hand again. She eyed the food. It did look good, and it even smelled good, evidence that she clearly had been in the hospital too long. Hospital food wasn't meant to look and smell appetizing. She glanced at her watch, and it was then she realized she'd been sitting there almost six hours. She'd had that early breakfast, meek as it was, hours and hours ago. She shook her head at the idea; she couldn't eat Andy's food. He was sick and lying in a hospital bed. It wasn't right. She skipped meals all the time, but today, she was starving, ravenous even. The stress of the day, really, the stress of the last several weeks, had really started to get to her, and right now, all she could think about was eating that Jell-O. It sounded absurd, but she decided to act, not think, and before she could even scold herself, she had pulled the tray toward herself, and she started sipping on the soup with the spoon. Oh, it tasted good; the warm liquid warmed her in a way she couldn't describe otherwise. She had put out a lot of energy worrying about Andy, worrying about the future, and worrying about them over the last few hours, she needed the soup.

She finished the soup and suddenly was horrified. She'd just eaten the lunch of a man, sick in the hospital. Why had she done that? Chicken broth. She'd attacked the chicken broth like it was her last meal. That wasn't a funny thought; Andy was going to get better. She looked to the tray, and she sighed because as much as she wanted to push it away, the Jell-O was still staring at her. Red, really cherry Jell-O, and there it was. She gingerly picked up a spoon, and she started in on that, only to find a few minutes later, she'd polished that off too. That only left the salad. Knowing her love interest was a vegetarian, it made sense to let him have the salad, but then she asked herself if he would really feel up to eating that when he hungry? She decided not, and less than five minutes later, she'd finished everything. Sharon had eaten all of Andy's lunch, but really, she knew she was doing him a favor. He wouldn't be hungry, not for any of this, and when he was ready to eat, she'd get whatever he wanted because after all, she had just eaten his lunch.

Sharon pushed the tray away, and she took Andy's hand back in hers to resume her watch. Now, she was fidgety, and she didn't have anything to do. She eyed the television, and then she looked to Andy. She knew Andy well enough that the television wouldn't wake him; it never did at home. The two of them had watched a lot of tv and movies together over the years, and usually once he fell asleep, he was out for a couple hours. Now, she knew this was a different situation, but she decided she wanted to risk it. Even if Andy did wake up from the noise, he would either go back to sleep or finally be alert enough to talk. She left his side to find the television remote, and she turned it on quickly. She returned to his side and took his hand in hers again while she waited for the television to come to life. Thankfully, the tv came on with the 'mute' word flashing right away. She started flipping the channels to find something to watch. There wasn't much on, several old black and white movies, some sports commentators talking, but she finally decided on something. It wasn't her normal choice, but she didn't feel like watching the news on mute, and at least this would provide plenty of action.

Another knock at the door had her terribly worried that the same young man would be back to collect the evidence, evidence that she'd committed a crime against a sick, wonderful man, the decimated lunch tray. She'd eaten his lunch, but the knock wasn't for that. Provenza knocked as he opened the door and stepped in. Sharon didn't move from her spot, rooted in the seat with her hand clasped in Andy's.

"So, are we making any progress?" he asked, the question carrying multiple meanings, and he looked to her for answers on at least two different fronts.

Sharon gave him a small smile and continued to hold Andy's hand while she turned slightly toward Provenza. He moved closer to her so the two could talk quietly and not disturb Andy.

"He's been drifting in and out of sleep. I can tell he's in some pain; he's grimacing at times. When he was awake, he was alert enough to know who I was," she explained.

Provenza frowned and eyed her, "Alert enough to know you, but did the idiot or you, start a fight with the other?"

"No," Sharon gave a soft smile and looked to Andy's hand. "I'm not going to fight with him. I'm done fighting. He needs to rest and get better. I told him as much. I told him I'd be here when he wakes. I want the best for him, Lieutenant."

"I can't believe I'm saying this," he sighed and rolled his eyes, "but, with Flynn being my best friend and being somewhat incapacitated at the present time what do you want with him? You say you want the best for him, but enough of this cat and mouse game. You two are driving each other crazy, have been for a long, long time. Captain, this whole mess could end up killing him. I know he messed up, but so did you. What is your end game here? You can't sit there like that," he gestured to her hand in his, "only for him to wake up, and then you two start another round of misery."

Sharon bit her lip, almost trying to hold back her thoughts, but she took a deep breath and continued, "Lieutenant, I'm not leaving here anytime soon. I would prefer to discuss this with Andy, but I do not want to keep hurting him. I'm hurting; he's hurting, and ultimately, we are miserable right now. I want to fix this."

"About time," he grumbled. He looked around the room, "This place is depressing. I suppose I should have brought a balloon with me. Are you watching _Star Wars_?" he started to chuckle as he looked at her. "Didn't peg you for the type, Captain."

Sharon held back a chuckle, "I don't think Andy minds," she shook her head. "It was either that, the news, or _Sesame Street_. Hmm, a balloon. That seems like it was just yesterday, the stabbing. You and I have come a long way."

"As have you two," he gestured, "but the mess has to stop."

"I know," Sharon said quietly. She continued to run her hand up Andy's hand. "I regret so much, and I'm going to tell him that. I regret not doing this sooner, for one. Andy is a good man, a flawed one," she shrugged, "but who isn't?"

"Well," he chuckled, "I have a long line of ex-wives who would agree, but I'd like to think I've made tremendous progress."

"As would I in this situation, Lieutenant," Sharon nodded. The room fell into a comfortable silence as they both looked at Andy. He still looked awful with his bandages and bruises. Provenza looked around, almost trying to find a topic to discuss. The two normally had no problem at work, but with things so strained between Andy and Sharon, the situation right now with Provenza, it was awkward.

"Did you eat his lunch?" Provenza eyed the tray and turned back to Sharon, looking at her with a horrified expression.

She blushed and tried to hide her gaze, but she finally looked at him, "I was hungry. I've been sitting here worried sick for hours."

He shook his head, "What did you eat? It couldn't have been anything that good. I would have brought you a pizza or something!"

"Soup, salad, Jell-O," she gestured to the items, or the very little remains of the items left on the tray. "If Andy wants something when he wakes, I'll get it, but the soup would be cold by now anyway."

Provenza shook his head, "It's always the girlfriend."

"I'm not his girlfriend," she sighed, and when she met his stare, she rolled her eyes.

At the same time, he said, "It's always the semi-girlfriend."

The two continued to stare at each other, both knowing exactly what Sharon was to Andy, but neither wanted to admit that Sharon was still dodging that.

"If this is how you are going to spend the afternoon, I won't interrupt," he said quietly. "Do you need anything? I was planning to offer to sit here while you took a break for lunch. You are welcome to take a break, and I'll sit."

"No," she offered a small smile, "I don't want to leave. I'm fine here."

"Well, can I get you anything? Coffee, tea, more food?"

"No," she shook her head. "Really, I'm okay."

"I'm going to head back to work then. I'll stop in later after work. Take care of him," he gestured to Andy. "Figure out what you are because calling you the 'non-dating girlfriend' isn't going to cut it and neither is 'the boss' with how your hands are locked with his coupled with the worry on your face," he said as he gave a nod to her.

"I will," she gave a simple nod of thanks. "Thank you for stopping by here today. Call me if anything comes up at work."

"Will do," he waved to her as he left the room.

Sharon settled in and turned back to the tv. She rolled her eyes, _Star Wars_. It was like she was back home with all the boys, Andy included, watching it. Ricky loved it. Emily even liked it, but the family had been shocked to learn Rusty had never seen it. It was just another thing from growing up as he had, Rusty had never watched the movies. When that had been discovered last Christmas, the family, Andy included, had all settled in to watch the entire series. It had been after their big case at work. Sharon had invited Andy over for Christmas, and they'd had a wonderful day, ending with board games around the table together. Yes, she sighed at the Monopoly game idea. She and Andy had tried to play that at the house the other day, and it hadn't gone well. The family had enjoyed the game that night, but somehow during the game, the topic of _Star Wars_ had come up, and Rusty had admitted to never seeing it. So, the next afternoon, Andy had been invited over again, and the five had settled in for a movie marathon. Emily had stretched out on the floor with pillows all around her. Ricky had somehow contorted his long legs into one of the orange chairs, and Rusty had decided to forgo the couch and join Emily on the floor. That left the whole couch for Sharon and Andy, and within minutes, the two were snuggled into each other's sides, Andy with his arm around Sharon, to settle in for their movie day. They'd watched show after show, stretching into the late evening, and even near starvation hadn't stopped them; they'd just ordered a few pizzas and continued with their movie marathon. By the end of the night, which happened to be almost in the middle of the night, the three kids were stretched out on the floor with pillows and blankets, while Sharon and Andy were stretched out together on the couch with a blanket over them as well. Now, as Sharon stared at the screen, she couldn't help but smile at the memory.

"We don't have to watch that the next seven or eight hours, do we?" he grumbled from the bed. Sharon turned quickly, her memory taking her away from staring at his sleeping form.

"I'm sorry," she started to scramble with her free hand. "If it's bothering you, I can turn it off now."

"No, it's fine," he said with his raspy voice. "Leave it. Last time I watched that, well, good memories."

"Hmm," she ran her thumb over his knuckle, "Christmas with the kids?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "It was one of the best times I've had in a long time. Sitting there with you and the kids for almost 12 hours watching show after show after show. We barely stopped for food."

Sharon laughed, "That's just what I was thinking about right here, right now. I was just remembering we ordered pizzas and then being in our movie coma when they arrived. I always wonder how many times the pizza guy knocked on the door?"

Andy tried to chuckle, and he started to cough. "Rusty wanted to watch them again the other day, right before I fell. That had been the plan." He coughed again.

"I'll get you some water," she patted his hand and started to stand. She let go of his grasp, and she poured his water. She helped him sip some, and then she put the water back on the table and sat back down, this time with her hands in her lap. She wasn't sure if Andy realized she'd been holding his hand.

He looked to her, his brown eyes still trying to focus from their sleepy state, "I was enjoying you holding my hand."

Sharon's eyes widened, and she moved closer again, taking his hand in hers, "I won't let go."

He gave her a sleepy smile and nodded slightly, "Just when I'm ready to eat," he told her. "I'll need my hand to eat. I am actually a little hungry. Anything around here I can eat?"


	27. Chapter 27

Sharon sat on the end of the bed and watched as Andy sipped on some soup. After he'd awakened and asked for something to eat, she'd pressed the call button for the nurse. They'd checked on Andy and agreed per his doctor's note he could have some simple soup and called downstairs with the order. The time between Andy asking for something to eat and the food arriving was less than a half hour, and that time was mostly filled with nurses coming in and out of the room. Sharon stepped back to observe, giving everyone room to do their job and check on Andy. Now, as he was sitting up in his bed sipping on soup, the two were finally alone again.

It was hard not staring at him, but Sharon tried not to do so. She continued to sit on the bed while he focused on eating. Her gaze drifted up to the muted television where _Star Wars_ was still playing. "I can't believe we watched those movies for almost 12 hours," she finally said, breaking the silence that had descended on the room. It hadn't been an uncomfortable or awkward silence, but one the two had slipped into as Andy had focused on eating, and Sharon had adjusted to Andy's being awake finally.

He glanced up at the television and gave a small chuckle, "Yeah, when I think about it now, it's hard to believe. Then, it seemed to go by so quickly. It was a great day, one I have never forgotten."

"It was," Sharon nodded in agreement. She turned fully toward Andy, watching him as he continued to sip on the soup, "Until now, I didn't realize why the day was so wonderful. I mean," she gestured with her hands, "I truly enjoyed the day then, and I've thought about it since, quite often in fact, but it's only been just recently that it hit me why that was one of the most enjoyable days I've ever had."

Andy raised his eyebrows, and he put down his spoon. He leaned his head back, looking at Sharon, waiting for her to talk, but he also looked exhausted again, as if he'd used most of his energy eating. "It was one of the best days I've had too, Sharon," he said quietly and shrugged his shoulders.

She pursed her lips and took a deep breath, 'Why did you go out and purchase most of the movies that morning?"

He looked at her, almost surprised that she'd asked that. He shrugged, "Why wouldn't I? Rusty mentioned he hadn't seen the movies, and the kids wanted to watch them. You invited me to come over for the movie marathon, and I accepted."

"Yes," she frowned, as he hadn't answer her actual question, "but that morning, I sent you the text that we didn't have all the movies at the house. I thought we had them, but Ricky had smuggled them to his apartment in San Francisco I discovered. I told you we had the first one because Ricky bought a copy in San Francisco before he remembered we had the set at the house. He left it and took the rest. That day, I was very happy you came, but very surprised when you showed up with the rest of the dvd collection."

Andy continued to lean back against his pillow. He appeared alert, but still tired. He gave another small shrug, "I wanted to do something because the kids were so excited about the idea of watching all of them. It wasn't a big deal. I stopped at the store and bought all the movies. Easy," he gave her a small smile. "Well," he rolled his eyes, "I did battle the day after Christmas traffic and madness, but still worth it. You gave me a wonderful Christmas. You welcomed me into your home, shared your day with me, and it seemed like the least I could do. I wanted to do something for the kids. I care about them. Rusty needed to do something normal. They all needed a normal family activity. Plus, I care about you, and I knew it would make you smile. Sharon," he smiled softly at her, "you deserved a relaxing day with your kids. Honestly, I would have understood if you accepted the movies and sent me on my way. I just wanted to do something nice. Spending the day with all of you, after I'd just spent Christmas Day there, well, that was icing on the cake. It was as close to feeling welcome and wanted as I've felt in a long time. I can't remember when I was that content, that genuinely happy to just enjoy the day."

"That was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for my kids or me," she gave him a watery smile. She reached for his hand and squeezed it. "You gave the kids a gift I can't describe, can't thank you enough." She continued to hold his hand as she looked at him.

"Sharon, it was just a simple dvd set," he smiled warmly at her. "It was you who made my day so great."

"Your gift was more than just the movies. You did something for my family; you thought of us. No one, not even Jack, has ever done anything that kind. He left, as you know, when Ricky was just a baby. He never wanted to just be a family, spend time as a family. You did that without thinking. I can't remember the last time he sent the kids Christmas gifts, and while your gesture wasn't technically that, it was a wonderful gift to us all. I have been thinking about that time and realized that what made it even more enjoyable was you. Having you there was, well," she shrugged, "right. Andy, you crept into my life so naturally that I didn't even realize it. I didn't notice that you were always there, not until you weren't. I didn't realize we'd created this wonderful relationship, one that already stretched to include both our families. That day was wonderful because I spent it with my family, all of you. These last weeks have been awful because as much as I want to walk away, to forget the pain we both have caused each other, I can't."

Andy's eyes rose as Sharon admitted that. He looked to their joined hands, Sharon thumb continually running over his fingers. "Sharon, I know I messed up, but I don't know how to fix this. I want to fix this, but I don't know if we can."

"I want to," she gave him a sheepish look. Her face started to flush, but she looked at him, intent on saying this and not shying away. "I want to fix this, and I hope you do too. It's too important. I can't walk away; I've realized I don't want to walk away."

"Sharon, I walked away when things got tough. I did something so awful I don't know how you would ever want to trust me. I have to say that you hurt me too, a great deal. You turned me away, and I have tried to get over that, to forget you," he explained.

Sharon's eyes shot up, "Is that what you want? Do you want to forget me, to move on? I will honor what you want, and if that's it, I will respect that, but for once, I'm going to be honest with you and tell you it's not what I want, not at all. I've finally figured that out."

"It's not what I want," he sighed and shook his head. He looked away, and then he turned back to her, "It's what I tried to do, but it's not what I want, not at all. I want you back, and I want our family. We've created a family together without even trying. I miss you; I miss us, and I know we weren't dating, but I had hoped we had moved to that point," he sighed.

"We were dating," she squeezed his hand and rolled her eyes when he looked to her. "Andy, I was the one trying to hide from it. It wasn't you," she squeezed his hand again. "I know you think I'm afraid of intimacy, afraid of a relationship, and while I might be some of those things," she said firmly as she looked him in the eye, "I am not afraid of you. I think the truth of the matter is I'm afraid of intimacy and a relationship now with anyone but you. The thought of you leaving my side," she shook her head, "I can't stand it now."

"How do we deal with the hurt, Sharon? We both have it, and I feel like we are going in circles apologizing and discussing this over and over. That's not healthy either," he sighed.

"We move on," she said firmly. "We get anything, any last comments or thoughts on the subject out I the open. It doesn't have to be now," she gestured to where they were sitting. "You, if you haven't noticed, are stuck in a hospital room. We pick a time when you were well, and we hash out any last thoughts. We deal with them, bury them, and we move on. I'm not asking that we completely forget about all that happened, but we remember the mistakes enough not to make them again. We don't hold mistakes against each other anymore. We are both too old to play games; we've lived, and we've made enough mistakes."

Andy closed his eyes, and Sharon knew he was tired. She still had her hand in his, and she pulled it away. Andy opened his eyes when she did so, and she looked to the ground; he hadn't responded to her suggested. "I don't want to hash this out when I get out of the hospital. He reached for her hand, something he hadn't done since they'd started talking."

Sharon's head dropped even further even though he'd laced his fingers with hers, "Andy," she said quietly, "I don't have another suggestion. We can't move forward if we keep digging up the past. I want to learn from it, of course, but we can't be in a disagreement a year from now and have one of us throw the past mistakes back into this. It's not healthy."

"Hey," he tugged on her hand, "I'm not suggesting that." She looked up at him when he did, and he continued, "I don't want to hash this out when we leave here because I'm done arguing. We've both admitted our faults, apologized, over and over, I might add," he paused and then shook his head. "Sharon, as far as I'm concerned, this right here," he gestured with his other hand, pointing his finger on his leg before he continued, "this is the fresh start. We both take what we've learned, and we move forward together. It's what I've always wanted."

"It's what I want too," she let out a half sob, half exclamation. "Andy, I'm so sorry. I need to tell you that right now. I need to get it off my chest. I need you to know that my pulling back from you, it was just me freaking out. It hit me when I went on that date," she looked to the ceiling. "I need to apologize for that, for leading you on about that. I tell you no, and then I'm out on a date with someone else. It was in the middle of that I realized what I'd done, and I'm so sorry."

Andy tugged on her hand, and she scooted a bit closer. He ran his hand up her arm, and he tugged on it to get her to look at him, "If we can forgive each other, we're good," he gave her a small smile. "I know I'm good. I forgive you. We've both been in our share of counseling over the years. I know I've learned a lot from those sessions, and I'm sure you have too. I desperately want to push forward with you. I believe in us."

"I forgive you," she said without hesitation. "I want to be in a relationship with you, and I am going to do whatever it is I need to do to move forward. I am determined to not mess this up, not again."

He opened his eyes wider than they had been, "That's a big admission."

"It's the truth, if you still want to be in one with me," she gave him a questioning gaze.

"That comes with a lot of messy parts," he told her. He turned his head to the side on his pillow to rest and to look at her better, "like," he shrugged, "relationship stuff," he grinned.

She pursed her lips, "I have dated before," she nodded. "Rusty," she nodded.

His eyes opened even wider, "You dated Rusty? Sharon, I'm definitely not signing up for that. That's too much for me to handle. You think you know someone," he grumbled.

She swatted at his leg, and she grinned at him, "I'm rusty at it," she clarified. "I'm not going to date Rusty," she rolled her eyes, while he chuckled. His chuckle turned into a cough, and she reached for more water for him. Once he had calmed down and had some water, she continued, "I don't need to date Rusty. Rumor has it I've got a perfectly lovely man wanting to date me. I'm also aware relationships, dating," she clarified, "involve expectations."

"Is that so?" Andy asked, now their hands laced again. They rested on her leg, and he gave her a small smile. "I honestly meant families, work, all those messy things. I do hope we can handle the other, the intimacy between us."

"I think we have been doing a good job with our families. Work," she sighed, "we can definitely improve, but we will. as for the other, I hope that will all come naturally," she smiled brightly. "I need to plan a date, though," she admitted. "It's high time I step up and do that. Besides," she gave a flirty shrug, "my boyfriend is stuck in the hospital, so it would seem appropriate that I do something for him. He's been watching out for me, for my family, for a very long time, even though I don't need it and now, it's my turn to do the same. I'm going to nurse him back to health, and when he's better, I'm going to take him on what is hopefully, his last first date."

"I'll be there, Sharon," he said. He tugged on her arm, "I'd really like to sleep more right now. Promise this isn't a dream?"

"Andy, we finally woke up," she pulled their intertwined hands up and kissed his. She squeezed it, and she watched as he drifted off to sleep again.


	28. Chapter 28

Sharon walked into the condo after another very long day. She'd had many of them lately, but she wasn't going to complain, not at all. She would gladly take these long days knowing that her life was finally getting back on track. Andy was on the mend, as was their relationship. It wasn't perfect; it would never be perfect, but they were making baby steps. It was ironic that, Andy too, was making baby steps. The doctor had him up and moving around at the hospital, and he would hopefully be going home in the morning. Home. Well, Andy wouldn't be going home, not to his home, but he'd be leaving the hospital for Sharon's condo where he was to stay for at least a week until he got back on his feet. Sharon had spent the last four days going back and forth between the hospital and work, checking on Andy both in the morning and late into the evening. It was the least she could do, and while it was a somewhat stressful time, she had found more peace in the last few days than she had found in herself in a very long time.

She hung up her purse and kicked off her heels before she rounded the corner to the kitchen. She almost jumped back at the sight of Rusty. The main kitchen and dining room lights were off, but he was sitting at the kitchen counter area with the lights on overhead. Sharon noted he had on headphones and was listening to his computer while eating leftovers.

Rusty had not noticed Sharon was home, so she gingerly walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. "Oh, hey, Sharon," he smiled at her as he turned and continued, "I wasn't sure what time you were coming home tonight. We've barely seen each other this week. Long day at work, I see," he smiled as she walked around to the sink area to get herself a glass of water.

"Long day, yes," she smiled at him as she got her water. "Work, though, wasn't too bad. Thankfully, it's been a rather light week. I just came from the hospital."

"Oh," Rusty frowned, "how is the lieutenant? I stopped in yesterday afternoon again to play chess and again at lunch today. He was looking better to me, and he got mad at the nurse when she told him he couldn't go for another walk around the floor. That was actually pretty funny, watching him get mad at her. She even looked at me and told me that no matter how much my dad tried to convince me, I wasn't to take him out of the room. That was awkward," he rolled his eyes. "We were both scrambling to explain I'm just a friend, but what old guy has friends my age?" he continued to laugh.

Sharon laughed too, as she listened, and she nodded, "He told me you had been by to see him now a few times. That was very nice of you. Thank you for doing that. And, if he's a friend as you say," Sharon gave him a pointed look, "I hope you will call him Andy. You don't need to keep calling him Lieutenant."

Rusty grimaced at Sharon's comment, "Sharon, it's like weird. I can't call him Andy. He is your lieutenant, and after all that's happened, I am doing what you asked-I'm still keeping things the same with us, but it's just weird. You aren't going to see me call Lieutenant Provenza Louie, now are you?"

Sharon chuckled as she nervously ran her hand along the countertop. She knew she needed to have a talk with Rusty, but now she felt even more awkward. Instead, she turned and pulled a leftover casserole out of the refrigerator to heat up some dinner. Patrice had made it, and it wasn't the first food she'd received from the team this week. After her full day with Andy at the hospital where the two had finally talked through things and decided to move forward together, she'd returned to work the next day. She'd stopped by the hospital early that morning to check on Andy, not that she hadn't been there late the night before. That first night, Andy had slept most of the evening she'd been there, but she hadn't wanted to leave him even while he slept. She finally had with a kiss to his forehead when she left. The next morning, she'd arrived just after 6:30 AM to find the doctor in with Andy already. He'd properly introduced Sharon as his girlfriend and told Dr. Lieu and the rest of the staff she was to be included in any discussion from that point forward. He'd signed his paperwork later in the morning to finalize that decision. She'd stayed with him an hour before going to work, and when she had left him that time, she'd kissed him, the first real kiss since he'd been awake. The first kiss, it had been slightly awkward because it was just that, the first, and it was also in his hospital room. It was the first time he could properly respond, but she'd leaned in when she'd said goodbye and kissed him with just the right amount of everything. The kiss had felt right and awkward at the same time if that was possible. She'd pulled back, trying to gauge his reaction, and she didn't get very far before his hand moved to her face and gestured for her to kiss him again. The second had felt a little less awkward, and it had felt even better. The two had broken apart with giddy smiles and a wink from her.

"I will be back this evening. Get some rest today, Lieutenant Flynn," she'd grinned at him.

"Yes ma'am," he'd nodded at her and then corrected himself, "I mean, yes, Captain," he returned her wink. "Could I maybe expect that again tomorrow? I mean," he gestured, "I think it's helping with my recovery."

She had almost doubled over in laughter, something that felt so good after the weeks they'd been at odds with each other. "You can expect that again this evening. I'll be back after work, and no, you can't talk me out of it."

He'd chuckled and nodded, "Have a good day. Tell Provenza to go easy on you."

Provenza and really, the whole team, had done more than go easy on her. They'd been wonderful the whole time he'd been in the hospital, almost as if they knew the two were working on things. Sharon wasn't an idiot; she knew Provenza was aware of that, and apparently, he'd shared the "good" news with the team. That had been evident that first morning back to work after she'd spent the whole day prior at the hospital with Andy. Really, it shouldn't have been a surprise the team was trying to help. Here, Sharon had been out of the office all day, at the hospital nonetheless with a co-worker (and Sharon rolled her eyes at the thought of the team knowing they were more than that, but who was she kidding?), and it shouldn't have surprised her the team realized things were improving between Sharon and Andy. That first morning, she'd arrived to plenty of "welcome back" type comments, and when she'd gone to the break room to get a cup of coffee, she'd found a casserole in the refrigerator with her name on it. She'd almost jumped back seeing, "Captain Raydor" on the top of it, and when she'd opened the small card attached, she'd smiled warmly seeing that Mike's wife had made it. The card, "We know it's a stressful time, and this should keep you and Rusty fed for a few days," had been so sweet. Sharon had been so touched by it, that she'd almost teared up. She'd made a point to walk by Mike's desk when she had returned to her office, and she'd thanked him with a squeeze to his arm. Two days later, she'd found another casserole again, but this time, it was from Patrice, "Louie has been keeping me posted on Andy. He's just as anxious for him to get out of the hospital as I'm suspecting you are too. Hope things are improving in every way," that note had said. Now, as Sharon stood in her kitchen, ready to reheat the casserole from Patrice, she turned back to address her youngest and his concerns with the word, "Andy."

"Rusty," Sharon sighed as she checked her food and put it back in the microwave to reheat it even more, "Andy," she enunciated his name, "will be staying here for a few days again after he is discharged from the hospital. That could be as early as tomorrow, one can hope," she nodded to him. "I hope that is okay, and you're right, that it would be weird for you to call Lieutenant Provenza "Louie," after all this time, but it's a very different situation. It would be weird for me to start calling him that," she chuckled. "I'd have to see him in more social situations to feel ready for that."

Rusty eyed her as he continued to eat. The microwave beeped again, and Sharon turned her attention to that while Rusty questioned her, "How is it different now, Sharon? Fine, the lieutenant is staying here. I get it; the guy is sick. He doesn't have family in town. I'm surprised you are still doing okay with all of this. Wait," he put his fork down and looked at Sharon as she still had her back to him, messing with her food. "What's going on with you two?"

Sharon poked at her food with a fork, and she shrugged. She knew she needed to give Rusty a truthful answer; she didn't have a problem telling people that she and Andy were working on things, but she did have a problem discussing it with her children. She sighed finally and turned to Rusty with her plate in her hand. "Rusty, we are working on things. We both made mistakes, huge mistakes, and to be honest," she smiled at him, "we've been miserable without each other. So, Andy will be staying here for a few days when he is out of the hospital. Once he's cleared to go home, he will do just that, and we plan to explore our feelings."

Rusty made a face, "Explore feelings? Sharon, what does that even mean? Wait," he held up a hand, "I don't want to know, do I?"

Sharon finally let out a small laugh as she tried to take a bite of her food. She was balancing her plate in her hand, and she ended up covering her mouth with her fork. "Rusty," she rolled her eyes and sighed before she continued, "sometimes friendships can turn into something more."

"Eeeew, no," he shook his fork at her. "No, really? You're going there? We have to discuss something more? Sharon, he's the lieutenant! You two can go to dinner all you want. I've even been cool with him hanging around the condo because you are happy. I get the two of you messed up everything, and I'm still not sure how you can forgive each other, but you're going to now jump right from not wanting to see him to telling me there's more than friendship there?"

"You were the one who told me we were dating long ago! Rusty, this shouldn't be a surprise, maybe the fact that we're working on things, but that's what dating is! You should know that much," Sharon exclaimed.

"Yeah," he shrugged, "but not old people dating, not people like your parents," he grimaced. "Oh, yuck, I sound like the hospital; I just referred to you two as my parents, plural. Ugh," he shuddered. Sharon held back any laughter, and that was hard.

"Rusty, he will be a guest here in the condo while he recovers, and then he will go home. At some point, somewhere in the future, he may be here as more than just a guest," she blushed now as she knew she would by jumping right into this conversation. Yes, it was premature, but she felt that the discussion had already been started, and she should just dive right into it. From the talks she and Andy had been having, she knew that a relationship with Andy, especially after she'd been developing one for years already, would eventually progress; neither were in this just for casual dating. It was as she said, hopefully, their last firsts of many-kisses, dates, and the like.

"Wait, what? More than a guest?" he asked, but he was also talking to himself.

"Yes, I think we need to have a plan for overnight guests in the condo," she stated with a nod of her head.

Rusty's eyes grew wide, "Overnight guests? Wait, with him? Sharon, seriously, we cannot be here talking about the lieutenant staying as your overnight guest. Ugh," he grimaced.

"Rusty, I think you are having the wrong reaction to this," she pursed her lips.

"No way," he shook his head. "I don't want to discuss the lieutenant here anytime other than recovering from the hospital," he said as he stood.

"Rusty, you're right," Sharon nodded. "The lieutenant," she emphasized the word and raised her eyebrows, "would not be staying at our condo. Andy might one day in the future. There is a difference," she eyed him. "I hope you will work on using Andy more and more. That isn't just a simple plea; I need you to do that."

"So, I'm going to like have to see him sitting here at the table in that robe, the ugly green robe, Sharon?" he made a face. "I might walk in here one morning and find him eating a bowl of cereal? What am I supposed to do? Sit down and ask him if he's had a good stay? Ugh!" he grimaced again.

Sharon hid her smile as she listened to Rusty pitch his fit. She did understand on some level, but she also knew that Rusty did have a good relationship with Andy, one she wanted the two to work on even more. It was that important; both were in her lives, and if she had any say, neither would ever leave her life. "Rusty, if and when," she said with emphasis on when, "Andy is ever here in the morning, I except you to be respectful and kind. End of discussion, that is," she gestured to him with her hand, "unless you would like to discuss this more? We can discuss Andy as long as you like."

"No," his eyes flew open wide, "I'm good. I'm done talking," he said as he scrambled up from his seat. He started to collect his plate, and Sharon finally had mercy on him.

"I'll get it, Rusty," she nodded. "I'll clean up."

He just nodded and collected his computer. Before he walked away, he remembered something, "Oh, those flowers over there," he pointed to the bar area separating the dining room from the living room, and Sharon's eyes followed, "they came earlier for you. I didn't open the card, but after all this, I have a feeling I know who sent them." He made another face and disappeared from the kitchen.

Sharon covered her mouth, and she chuckled to herself as she finished clearing Rusty's plate. She put hers aside, still half of it uneaten, and she decided to check out the flowers before finishing her dinner. She smiled at them, almost as if she was looking at a person. Only one person would send her favorites, lilies. Jack, the few times he got her flowers, always got her carnations, and she now hated them because they just reminded her how cheap he had always been, not to mention the lack of detail he'd put into her at any point in their marriage. Sharon shook her head when she pulled at the card. It had been written by the flower shop, as she didn't know the handwriting, but the message was nonetheless very special.

"Thank you for taking care of me. I'm sure you didn't think a guy could manage to send a girl flowers while stuck in the hospital, but as I've told you, I'm full of surprises. For the first time in a long time, I'm looking forward to what the future holds-Your Secret Admirer," he'd signed it, and Sharon laughed at that, as if there was any question. She wiped a tear that had formed, and she went in search of her purse and her phone.

"The flowers are beautiful," she sent him a quick message after she had retrieved her phone. She noted he must have his phone right there with him because he started typing right away.

"What flowers?" he texted her back.

She started to laugh again, and before she could type again, he sent her a smiley face and then more.

"I hope they made you happy. I want to keep making you happy. Maybe one day I can actually bring you flowers," he told her in his message.

"I don't need flowers, Andy," she texted him back. She let that text go through, and then, even though she was nervous, she decided to step out on faith a little and be bolder than she'd been. That was what this was all about anymore; Sharon knew she needed to express herself to Andy, so she sent him one more text, "I just need you, Andy."


	29. Chapter 29

Sharon checked her appearance once again, not sure she was happy with it. It was silly; she knew that, but she couldn't stop obsessing. No, she wasn't being vain, quite the opposite. She was terrified of how she looked and how Andy might view her as well. He had been discharged earlier in the day, and berfore that, Sharon had gone into the office early and worked until lunch when she'd left for the hospital. Andy had been busy with a physical therapy session, so his discharge had happened in the middle of the afternoon anyway. By the time they got him out of the hospital and to the condo, it was nearing late afternoon. Rusty had met her at the hospital, still barely able to look Sharon or Andy in the eye after his discussion with Sharon, but he'd met her there. As much as he wanted to be "disgusted" by Andy and his, what would be more frequent visits to the condo, he cared deeply about him. Sharon knew she would need some help with all of Andy's things, and the trio had managed to get him loaded into Sharon's car and out of the hospital. Rusty had told the two he would pick up dinner, and he had taken his sweet time doing so, letting Sharon get Andy get settled before he reappeared.

That had all been earlier in the evening. Andy had been exhausted from physical therapy when they got home, so Sharon had guided him to Rusty's room to rest. Andy had apologized over and over for being so tired, telling Sharon he just wanted to talk to her, but he'd fallen asleep almost as soon as Sharon had gotten him into bed, Rusty's bed, to rest. She had covered him with a blanket and then tried to catch her breath as well. Rusty arrived an hour later, and they kept dinner warm until Andy joined them an hour after that. The three had had a simple dinner and had kept the conversation light. That part had been easy because Andy had now been over for dinner many, many times over the last few years. That part wasn't new; they all knew their places at the table, just as they knew what each person liked to eat and didn't like. After dinner, they had settled into their almost normal routine of relaxing on the couch with a couple of tv shows while Rusty worked on his computer down the hall in his room. Sharon had curled up into his side, and she rolled her eyes at that too now as she thought about it, realizing it was also something she'd done many, many times, but she had missed it terribly over the last several weeks. Andy had put his arm around her shoulders, and the two had remained there for a couple hours while he dozed on and off. After a couple hours of that, Sharon had tried to get him to go to bed when Rusty finished in his room for the night, but Andy had resisted.

"I promised the kid I'd play a game of chess," he told Sharon as Rusty was getting a glass of water. Sharon eyed him.

"Andy, you just got out of the hospital. I'm sure Rusty will understand if you are too tired to play tonight," she frowned.

"I'm okay right now," he smiled. "I just spent the past couple hours sleeping on you. I'm good right now. Besides, you mentioned wanting to take a hot shower before you go to bed. There's only one bathroom, and we can't all be in there at the same time, so why don't you get your shower, and when you are done, I'll probably be done with my game. I'll use the bathroom when you are finished, and then, we can all go to bed."

Sharon eyed Andy, looking for any sign that he was in pain or too exhausted to play. When she didn't see it, she just nodded and squeezed his hand, "I'm not sure I like the two of you ganging up on me now. This isn't a good future, at least in my eyes," she teased with her eyes sparkling. Andy just chuckled and shrugged his shoulders at her. He glanced to the kitchen and with no sign of Rusty, he leaned in quickly and gave her a kiss.

"You know, I look forward to the day I can kiss you without being in a hospital bed, without Rusty lurking, and without feeling like I was hit by a car," he grumbled. Sharon pecked his lips and grinned.

"Soon," she patted his hands, and she stood. "I'll go take that shower now. Rusty, Andy's ready for chess. You can come out from hiding."

"Hey, I'm just eating more of this casserole, Sharon," Rusty called out to her from the kitchen. "I think this is the best one yet, the one you brought home today that Julio's mom made. It's awesome." Sharon had brought that casserole home with her, but she wasn't sure it was the best thing for Andy to eat after just leaving the hospital. She knew he loved Mexican food, but she felt soup and salad would be a better first meal home.

Sharon looked to Andy and shook her head, "I don't know how he is still hungry. I'm full from dinner."

"We had soup and salad," Andy shrugged. "We're full, but the kid is growing like crazy still."

She nodded, "Still, you watch tomorrow morning," she gestured, "he will have eaten half that casserole. Half, Andy. He's done it all week to the others. I'm glad he's eating them, but he practically has four or five full meals a day now." She rolled her eyes, and Andy chuckled.

"So, you're saying that food might be scarce around here?" Andy teased.

"Hmm," she flashed a smile, "we might just have to go out for coffee and pastries tomorrow to eat. The doctor said you could get out, light movement, so we might do that."

"Work might have other plans for you," he nodded to her.

She shrugged, "The lieutenant knows if I don't stay here with you, he's next on the list to come and stay with you. He's graciously offered to cover at the office for the day. As long as we don't get a major case, I'm yours all day tomorrow."

Andy's eyes flashed to her, and he grinned, "Well, let's get a move on this evening, then. You, go, get ready for bed. The faster we get to sleep, the faster tomorrow will arrive, and then I get to spend a whole day with you."

Sharon chuckled, "Your logic is odd. We are right here, right now," she said.

"Yes, but doesn't Rusty have class tomorrow?" Andy said quietly and winked.

"You realize you were discharged from the hospital to rest and recover, correct? You need care and supervision, nothing more," she told him.

"A man can dream," he shrugged. "I see a nurse's outfit," he trailed off and flashed a smile at her.

She rolled her eyes, "Still delusional from the hospital, I see," she told him.

Now, less than an hour later, she was a mess.

She was a complete mess. She was standing in front of her bedroom mirror not sure if she could walk out into the living room. It was silly, really, worrying about her appearance, but she was. All she had to do was walk out there, into a room where two men, one older and one younger, adored her, and at this point with Andy's health issues, both had seen her in her pajamas before. Neither had seen her in these pajamas; that was the problem.

Sharon had done a lot of thinking over the last few days, the last few weeks, to be exact, but her thoughts the last few days had centered on her relationship, or more specifically, the forward progress of their relationship. She wasn't going to continue to hide; she'd promised him that in the hospital. Before, when he had stayed at the condo after he'd been injured, she hadn't been worried about her appearance. Andy had been hurt, and she really hadn't been interested in fixing things with them, or so she thought, at least. She'd worn what she usually wore to bed, soft cotton sleep pants and a matching t-shirt. It wasn't a bad outfit; in fact, it was quite nice, but it was also just that, nice, basic, pajamas. There was nothing special about them, other than the fact that Emily had bought them for her on her last birthday. They were respectable; they were presentable, but they weren't necessarily something that would have Andy giving her a second look now as he often did with her heels, or her skirts, or her dresses, or her tops, or really just about anything else she wore around him. No, these pajamas were "kid-appropriate," and while many others were too, she knew she could do a better job.

Sharon used to have nicer, even sexier pajamas than she owned now. Those had gone out in the trash with Jack's last letter, literally. It wasn't that she'd saved them for him, not at all. In fact, that idea, had her grimacing now, wondering how she'd ever really been attracted to Jack. No, she had just finally been done with Jack, with anything resembling that chapter of her life. When she'd thrown out his last letter a couple years ago, she'd cleaned out her pajamas. Maybe it stemmed from the fact he'd barged into the condo in the middle of the night and caught her in her pajamas because the two topics weren't exactly related, but she'd felt like throwing out things when Jack left, and the pajamas had been her target. She'd felt vulnerable that night, after he'd finally left again leaving another lame letter, which sounded absurd with her husband, but she had. She'd decided then and there to throw out everything that resembled anything from her past. Some of those pajamas had originally been intended for Jack, and she felt like she had to dust them off to throw them away. She had laughed at the thought that some had been in her drawers, untouched for so long, some never touched, and some were now probably even too small.

Now, here she stood. Sharon had made a stop between work and the hospital earlier in the day with one goal in mind-to get new pajamas. She didn't want anything risqué; that wasn't the plan, but she wanted something that was appropriate and at the same time, flattering. She, did after all, still have Rusty around, but that didn't mean she couldn't find something a little more attractive than her basic pants and t-shirt, pants that had ballet slippers on them, no less. So, as she'd started to think about the changes that had happened in the hospital, the discussion and the future that had come from it, she instantly panicked thinking of her pajamas. It was silly, she knew, but that's where her mind had gone. She had a million things she could be thinking about with all that was going on, but Sharon had focused on her pajamas. Vain, maybe, but she had promised that she wouldn't keep hiding from Andy, and this was one small step in that direction. They were going to take things slowly, but she could make a little effort with her household pajama appearance.

Sharon took a deep breath; it was now or never, and she started to change, going with the "never," but she stopped herself and gave herself another look. She looked fine; no, she looked nice. She nodded to herself. She'd stopped in her favorite boutique on the way to the hospital, a place where she shopped regularly, or at least had for years, and she bought three new pairs of pajamas, all appropriate, even around Rusty, but all much nicer and flattering than the ballet slipper pajamas. This particular outfit was just that, an outfit, complete with a silk camisole top, silk pajama pants, and a matching robe with it. The robe helped her confidence immensely, as she knew she could pull it closed when she was feeling a bit unnerved. It was a cream color, one that she hadn't been sure of in the store, but the sales clerk had suggested she try it on, and when she had, Sharon realized the color helped make it even more flattering. She'd bought the same set in the cream, a light purple, and a deep green, all colors she liked and felt confident wearing. Well, she had felt confident at the store, but now, with her hand on the doorknob, she wasn't feeling like a confident police captain. She took another deep breath, opened the door, and she walked out into the living room. She couldn't hide forever.

Sharon found the living room quiet, but she knew the guys couldn't hide, not in the condo. She didn't expect to see them in the living room; they were playing chess, and the two always played chess at the dining room table. Sharon took a deep breath as she collected the two tea mugs still out from the evening, and she walked around the corner into the kitchen, trying to play it cool. After all, she was comfortable, this was her house, and she had on new pajamas she'd refused to hide under a tied-up robe. She had on the robe, but she'd stepped out and left it open, and she was trying to find some confidence.

"How's everything going?" she chuckled at the sight of them. Sometimes, Sharon swore the two guys could be related. They had the exact same posture, head in their hands, propped up on the dining room table, and both were staring at the board. Even their expressions were almost the same. Andy looked tired; Rusty looked confident, like he was about to win.

"Check," Rusty said as he moved a piece. Neither addressed her, which was just fine and normal. She knew better than to interrupt a game. Sharon moved around the kitchen, enjoying the silky feeling of her new clothing, as she put away things and rinsed out the mugs for the dishwasher.

"Hmm, that good," Sharon chuckled quietly as she continued to work. She watched Andy start to move a piece, but then he paused. He sighed, and he looked at the board again. He finally moved the piece he'd started to move, and when he did that, he dropped his head. Sharon knew what was about to happen.

"Checkmate," Rusty moved his piece and grinned. Andy sighed, loudly, and he nodded to Rusty.

"Good game, Kid," he told him. "What's that now? 1000 games to two?"

Rusty collected the board pieces, "Something like that," he grinned at Andy again. "Thanks for playing with me, Lieutenant," he said, and he caught Sharon's eye as he said that. He grimaced, knowing she'd asked him to work on that. "I know you aren't feeling well, so maybe we can play another time when you're not so tired?"

"We can play tomorrow, Rusty," Andy nodded to him. "I'm not going anywhere, at least for a few days. I'll be glad to play. It keeps my mind off other things, and I hope it keeps it somewhat sharp, even if I always lose."

The two turned toward Sharon, their typical move. Sharon had seen this so many times. Once the guys had started to play, it was hard to snap them out of that mode. They had to completely finish, have their little chat about the game, and then they always turned their attention to Sharon. She was just wiping down the last bit of the counter as they looked at her.

"Sharon, I'm going to get ready for bed so the lieut-ahh, so Andy," he said with a forced smile, "can use my room. I'll just be a few minutes, and then I'll get everything ready on the couch."

"Thank you, Rusty," Sharon said, hoping he realized the thanks was for both the use of his bedroom as well as for the attempt at calling Andy by his name.

"Thanks, Rusty," Andy nodded, looking to him. "I really appreciate it. I'm sorry to kick you out of your room."

"It's cool," he waved at the two of them as he picked up the chess set. "I'll just watch tv or something out here while I fall asleep. I don't mind, and I'm just glad you are getting better," he told Andy. Rusty disappeared down the hall, Andy watching as he did, and then he turned his attention back to Sharon at the kitchen counter. He eyed her with a tilt to his head, and then he leaned back in his chair, even back so it was on two legs, not four, to get a better view. Sharon chuckled from where she stood. She could tell he was wanting to see her legs, or what she had or didn't' have on them, so she stuck her leg out to the side, making her silky-clad pajama pants visible.

"Those are nice," Andy said with a hint of flirtation in his voice. He wiggled his eyebrows at her. Sharon put the kitchen sponge away, wiped off her hands, and she started lightly laughing. "Can I say I like them while at the same time admitting that I wish you didn't have them?"

Sharon started to laugh as she rounded the corner of the counter toward him. "You look like a five-year-old leaning back on that chair," she chuckled at him as he put the chair back down onto the floor. "Hmm, thank you, but the pants are sort of a requirement."

"Not in my book," he teased her again. She was enjoying this playful banter and wondering why she'd been so terrified of it for so long.

"Well, you know," she cleared her voice, "those are the rules. You buy a set, so you are required to wear all the pieces."

"Stupid rules," he grumbled as he teased. Sharon arrived at his side. "Ahh, the full view," he nodded and grinned up at her. "I like those. You can see why I was curious," he gestured to her and continued, "the top," he nodded. "I like that, a little bit of mystery there with the robe over it. I was wondering what was on your bottom half, if anything at all," he grinned. "Then, I was wondering how I'd missed that walk by earlier."

Sharon continued to laugh, as she leaned up against the table, turning sideways to him. "Well, these do exactly what you just said, offer a little mystery, but," she enunciated, "still, ahh, warm enough for bed," she grinned at her choice of description. That wasn't what she'd planned to say, but she was enjoying teasing him right now. She was perched right next to him, and he ran his hand over the material of her robe.

"Ahh, very nice and silky," he winked at her.

"I'm glad you like them. They're new," she admitted.

Andy raised his eyebrows, "Really? What's the occasion?" he teased.

She shrugged, "Can't a girl get new pajamas?" she flirted with him.

"Those," he nodded at the set, "anytime. When did you get them?"

"Recently," she nodded in admission. When he eyed her, she rolled her eyes, "Today, before I got to the hospital," she smiled. "I got them in three colors, really, for Rusty."

Andy made a face at her, "Rusty? Okay, Sharon," he grimaced and continued, "what's going on with you two? First, you mention at the hospital dating Rusty, which you explained away as being rusty at dating. Now, you bought these very hot," he grinned at her, "pajamas. Of course," he gestured, "you did say they were warm enough for bed, so there's the 'hot' part, I guess."

Sharon doubled over in laughter, "Hmm, the pajamas are for you to admire, as well as for Rusty not to cringe and hide. "Modest yet hot," she teased him again. Andy stared to chuckle as he shook his head.

"Fair enough," he reached and tugged on her arm. "You can wear those anytime."

"Anytime?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Well, not to work, most definitely not to work," he squeezed her arm. "So, might I see the other colors this week?"

"Hmm, that's a very good possibility. It's either these or ballet slipper pajama pants Emily bought me for my last birthday," she admitted.

"Well, now I know what I'm getting for your next birthday," he winked at her. "These ballet pants, is it just that? I'm all in if that's all there is to that pajama ensemble. I mean, your rules about clothing, no top, I'm all for the ballet pants, then," he continued to grin. Sharon kept laughing; she was laughing so hard she was almost crying now.

"Stop," she said almost out of breath. "I'm laughing so hard."

"Only you could double over laughing about pajamas," he threw up his hands. Sharon finally caught her breath and looked to him.

"You look better," she nodded. "I hope you are starting to feel better."

"I am," he reached for her hand and clasped it in his. "Thank you for taking an old guy like me in for a few days."

"Well, it would have ruined my reputation to visit you at the assisted living center if you went there for physical therapy," she smiled brightly at him.

"Sharon! You wouldn't have come to see me?" he asked.

She shrugged, "You are old, older than I am."

"By three years!" he said.

"Well," she shrugged, "that's old, especially at our ages. It's almost ancient. Pretty soon, you'll need a cane or something. We know your eyesight has gotten worse than mine, even if you refuse to wear your reading glasses at work."

"A cane," he mumbled and rolled his eyes. He stood so that now he was almost looking down at her slouched against the table where she had been talking to him. "I'm doing just fine walking on my own, and we agreed you wouldn't tease me about my glasses."

"Hmm, says the man who almost fainted, what two days ago at the hospital when I walked the hallway with you?" she teased. Her eyes were sparkling, and he just shook his head.

"You're evil. I'll remember to leave you off my visitor list whenever I do end up in a home," he told her.

She laughed again, "That's fine. I don't think I'd want to visit anyways. With Provenza as your roommate, I think Patrice and I will stay away."

"That's almost mean, even suggesting that," Andy grimaced. "I want to never hear you suggest that, my living with Provenza in an assisted living facility. Geez, Raydor, I'd hate to see what ideas you have for people you don't like."

"Hmm," she nodded and looked to the floor. "And, what makes you think I like you?" She gave him a sheepish look. He was now standing, right in front of her, but before he answered, he took a step back and glanced down the hall toward Rusty's room. With Rusty not in sight, he stepped back and nodded to her.

"Well, you keep kissing me," he leaned in, now teasing her again. "I know you haven't done that with anyone else at work."

"That can stop," she stated. He rolled his eyes, stepped toward her, and he put his hands on face as he pulled her in for a kiss.

"Never," he winked at her. He spoke softly, as the two were standing close to each other now, "What was it you said at the hospital, something about a last first date? I certainly hope you are my last first kiss, well, that and all the kisses from you after it." She blushed as she toyed with the button on his polo shirt, and she nodded.

"I'm still going to plan that, the date," she admitted. "We need you healthy first."

"Right," he said. "Well, I'm making progress."

"Just as long as you don't have a cane," she smirked. "I can't be ruin my reputation by taking out an old man with a cane." She pulled out of his grasp quickly before he could respond.

"Sharon Raydor," he chuckled, and she winked at him from now near the sofa.

"We'd better go to bed," she nodded, and when Andy's eyes opened widely, she rolled hers. "Rusty's bed for you and my bed for me."

"Yeah, yeah, your rules," he winked again. "I need to get ready for bed myself. I might hop in the shower. That sounded like a great idea, and I'd love to wash the hospital off me."

Sharon nodded, "Do you need any help?"

"Why, Captain, I'm flattered with the offer," he teased. "What did you have in mind?"

"I'd just be happy with you not cracking any additional bathroom tiles," she nodded. "Blood too, I could do without the blood on the floor."

Andy opened his eyes widely again, "I didn't even think about all that. With everything, I didn't think about you having to clean that all up, Sharon. I'm so sorry."

"Andy," she walked back to him and put her arm on his, "It's fine. I wasn't telling you that to make you feel badly."

"Once again, though," he nodded, and continued, "you had to clean up after me, take care of me."

"And," she looped her arm through his, "I'd do it again and again and again. In a twisted way, all of that got us here," she nodded once to emphasize her point. She gestured down the hall. "It's late; let's get ready for bed," she said.

Andy nodded and took one last glance around the condo. "Oh, the flowers," he smiled down at her.

"Yes, they are lovely," she squeezed his arm. "Thank you again."

"I suppose I need to send you another bouquet tomorrow to apologize for bleeding out on your bathroom floor," he joked. Sharon laughed. It felt good to joke about that finally. The threat was over, and Andy was on the mend.

"So, the towels are in the bathroom. Help yourself. It's the gray set on the counter for you," she explained. "I'll be in my room, and if you don't mind, just leave the door to my room unlocked in case you would fall or anything."

He rolled his eyes, "Sharon, if you want to walk in on me in the shower, just tell me."

Rusty picked that moment to walk out of his room, "Ugh, my ears!" he grimaced and tried to cover them. He had his computer in one hand, and his pillow in the other. "Really, guys!"

Sharon and Andy burst out laughing, and Sharon calmed herself to explain, "Rusty, I was simply telling Andy to leave the bathroom door unlocked in case he fell. You know something about that. Andy here," she gestured toward him, "has his mind in the gutter."

"I really don't want to know," Rusty grimaced as the three stood close to each other in the hall. "Sharon, you are all about rules. We need some rules for this," he gestured at them.

"She's got rules even for her pajamas," Andy muttered. Sharon swatted at him, and Rusty eyed her, noticing her pajamas.

"Are those new, Sharon?" he made a face. "Where's your usual t-shirt and pants?"

"Probably in the laundry next to your Star Wars pajamas Emily bought you for your last birthday," she smirked.

Rusty's eyes grew wide, "Dude! We don't talk about those! I can't believe she got me those like I'm five."

Andy chuckled and looked to Sharon. She nodded, "Yes, there's Rusty's big secret."

Andy shook his head, "I can't wait to see those," he continued to chuckle.

"Not happening, Lieutenant," Rusty shook his head.

"Oh, wait until I fold the laundry one of these days as a way to help your mom. I'm going to be here all week," he admitted.

Rusty rolled his eyes, "Well, the pajamas, if they exist, might never appear, ever again."

"Just maybe one day when the green bathrobe makes an appearance," Sharon smirked again to him. Rusty's jaw dropped open, the reference going back to their discussion of overnight guests. Andy looked between the two of them, aware he was missing something, and Sharon just quickly shook her head at him, a signal that she would tell him later.

"On that note, I'm going to shower," Andy said and walked into the bathroom, leaving Rusty still staring at Sharon with his almost disgusted look.

"I'll be right here, down the hall, aware of everything going on," Rusty nodded and walked away from Sharon, leaving her there laughing. Sharon continued to laugh into her room. She walked into her closet to pick out what she would wear the next day. She always liked doing that, and it was a bit of a treat; she wasn't going into work because she had Andy at the condo, so she was trying to find just the right casual outfit. Her phone alerted her to a chat request, and she walked to it to find out the source.

Sharon smiled when she saw it was a group chat request from both Emily and Ricky. She quickly settled on her bed, pulling the covers over her feet, to take their call. She quickly pulled on her robe a bit more to be even more acceptable to her two older children.

"Hi guys," she smiled brightly when she answered their call.

"Hey, Mom," they both greeted her in unison.

"What's the occasion? I rarely get both of you at the same time," she told them.

"We just wanted to chat," Ricky said.

Sharon raised her eyebrows, and Emily finally broke, "Dad called each of us to tell us about his new girlfriend."

"Really?" Sharon asked, now raising her eyebrows. "Do I even want to ask?"

Ricky groaned, "Probably not, but we didn't ask, and we got all the details."

"Her name is Juliette. She's French, 35, and dad can't stop going on and on about her," Emily explained.

"Well," Sharon nodded. "That's certainly interesting. She's a tad younger."

"A tad?" Ricky exclaimed. "She's over 30 years younger than dad."

"Richard, I'm not here to judge. I didn't even ask for the details. I hope Jack has realized how to have an adult relationship because as we all know, he didn't do a very good job of it with our family."

"Mom, she even looks a little like me. It's creepy," Emily admitted.

"I'm sorry he's disappointing you once again," Sharon nodded. "Is he planning to visit either of you anytime soon?"

"Nah, just said to call him next time we come to town," Ricky rolled his eyes. "Sorry, Mom, but nothing against you. I have no plans to visit anytime soon, or even worse, call Dad."

Sharon just nodded, "I understand. I can't force you to have a relationship with Jack, but I do ask that you try. You can't make him do the right thing, but I don't want you ever regretting not trying. That's all I ask, no matter what Jack is doing in his own life."

"We'll try, Mom," Emily admitted. "We didn't wake you, did we? Looks like you are in bed."

"No," she smiled, "I was still up, just picking out my clothing for tomorrow."

Ricky chuckled, "That has never changed. Rusty asleep?"

"No, he's in the living room," Sharon explained.

"Ahh, Sharon, do you have a toothbrush?" Andy suddenly called out as he opened the door to her room. Sharon's face turned to pure panic. She hadn't spoken to the kids in a few days, not since she and Andy had discussed their future, and they certainly didn't know that he was staying at the condo because of his health. She could only imagine how their minds were racing right now. She looked quickly to her computer, almost snapping it shut to stop the scene in front of her from unfolding, but she instead turned quickly hoping to turn the kids away from seeing Andy standing at the bathroom door waiting for her.

It was even worse than she could have imagined, well, for the kids, but not for Sharon so to speak. Andy was standing there in his pajama pants, no shirt, with the towel still around his neck, probably letting his hair dry a little before putting on his shirt. While Sharon just wanted to stare, she had her two adult children on the computer screen watching everything unfold.

"Mom!" Emily exclaimed, and Andy heard the voice, and his eyes grew wide too. Sharon looked to him in a panic. "Mom, is that Andy?" Emily asked again, the computer now kicked onto the bed, with a bad angle to the bathroom.

Sharon covered her eyes with her hands, "This isn't happening," she said aloud, and she knew she heard Ricky starting to laugh.

"Mom? Are you still there? I can see Andy is standing there, but well, let's have it, Mom. It's the online walk of shame," he teased.

Sharon's face turned beet red, and Andy braced himself against the bathroom door and started to laugh. The laugh was contagious, as both kids started laughing too. Sharon didn't. Instead, she took a deep breath, reached for her computer again, and she looked at the kids with an irritated expression.

"Andy is here, yes," she said calmly. The kids started making sounds at her, and she put her finger up to silence them. "Stop, both of you. It's not what you think."

"Oh, this sounds like every lame high school romance movie on tv," Ricky chuckled.

"Andy, as you know, was injured and has been in the hospital," she nodded.

"Oh, right, Andy, I hope you are okay. Looks that way," Emily nodded and grinned. Andy flashed a smirk at her as he walked toward the computer.

"Emily, Ricky, always a pleasure," he flashed a fake smile at them.

"Mom, where is Rusty? Is he really there?" Emily asked.

"I'm already on it," Ricky held up his phone for all to see. "I'm texting the little bro right now. Andy, next time, stay away from moving vehicles," he teased. "I'm glad you are going to be okay, though."

Sharon sighed, looked to Andy, and she shook her head. She looked back at the kids, "Andy just got out of the hospital today. He has to stay with someone for the next week. He's staying here at the condo."

"It's looking like you two figured things out," Emily teased. "Andy, you are looking better than I thought. Your face looks like it ran into a car."

"It practically did," he rolled his eyes.

"Andy is staying in Rusty's room," Sharon informed them as she rolled her eyes. "I asked him to not lock the bathroom door in case he needed anything."

"Are we still talking about the bathroom door and people not locking it to surprise others?" Rusty groaned as he walked into the room. He froze at the sight of Andy standing there in his pajama pants, no shirt, and towel. "Dude, Lieutenant, really? Ricky sent me a text saying there was an emergency, but I told him that all was quiet here. Now, I'm seeing the emergency is you need a clothing intervention."

"That's the emergency," Ricky nodded through the computer. "Little bro, you didn't say anything. This is big information," he gestured to Sharon and Andy.

"Mom, those are some pretty nice pajamas," Emily grinned.

Ricky tried to look closer through is computer, "Em, do I want to ask?"

"No," she told him. "Just remember, she's your mom."

"Guys! I'm living here in all this," Rusty gestured to them.

"That's the problem, Rusty. Figure out bro code. You always inform the siblings. Your pajama party, big news!"

"Pajama party!" Rusty grimaced. "We are not having that."

"Sure, we are, Rusty," Sharon grinned. "We were just talking about you wearing those Star Wars pajamas tonight."

Andy smiled brightly at Sharon, "You know, the kids need to visit so we can watch _Star Wars_ again. That was a great day, and now that I know Rusty has pajamas, we could make it a pajama day for everyone. Maybe we need to find matching ones for all of us."

Sharon held back a laugh or tried to do so. It came out as a snort laugh, "I think that's a great idea, Andy."

"Hello! Are we trying to dodge the elephant in the room? Mom is in bed. Andy was just in the doorway asking for a toothbrush, half dressed, I might add, and we are all supposed to believe he's been in the hospital," Emily spelled out the issues.

"I was in the hospital! I need a new toothbrush because last time I was here, it sort of got thrown away," he rolled his eyes.

"Last time you were there," Ricky nodded. "Interesting."

"Ricky, Emily! You know better. You know Andy stayed here when he was injured. Rusty is right here and knows all of that too. He fell in the bathroom, as you well know, and this, what you children are doing, is all just to tease us. He's looking for a new toothbrush because his was covered in blood. End of discussion."

"Maybe," Emily nodded, still teasing her mother, "but the pajamas, Mom. I know you."

Sharon yanked her robe closed even more than it had been. Andy turned away, chuckling and shaking his head. Rusty looked to all of them, clearly disgusted.

"You are all the weirdest family, ever. Of all the families," he shook his head. "I'm going to bed."

"And, where would that be?" Ricky teased.

"On the couch!" both Sharon and Andy yelled in unison. Sharon sighed and shook her head. "I'm going to say goodnight to my rotten children right now and help Andy. He did get out of the hospital today, and he's been overdoing it all evening. I will talk to you both later."

Sharon started to close her computer, but before she did, everyone hear Emily's last dig, "Oh, Andy, Mom prefers the right side of the bed, that is, if you didn't already know."


	30. Chapter 30

"You are not supposed to be up taking on so much!" Sharon scolded Andy as she walked into her kitchen. He'd now been staying with them two days. Two days, and Sharon had to go into work for a few hours for a meeting with Taylor, one that "couldn't wait," as she'd been told. It was now 7:00 in the morning, and she was surprised to find Andy cooking breakfast in the kitchen. He turned to her from the stove, spatula in hand, as he worked on making an omelet for her.

"Morning," he flashed his lopsided smile at her, and the smile grew even more after he eyed her up and down. She gave a slight chuckle when she noticed that.

"Looking at me like that does not get you off the hook," she eyed him. "Andy, I'm serious! You are not supposed to be doing too much, let alone up this early. You're never going to recover."

He gave a small shrug, "If I don't recover, does that mean I have to stay here? That's not the worst thing I've heard all morning," he said quietly as she moved to his side and wrapped her arm around him at the stove. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head as she did so.

Sharon smiled as he spoke, "You and I both know you want to recover. No recovery, no date," she nodded to him with a teasing tone. "Why are you up this early?"

He nodded toward the skillet ,"Making breakfast for my honey," he winked. "It's not everyday, well," he shrugged again, "it's never happened until just now that I get to stay with my favorite person and have the smallest opportunity to pay her back for being so kind. You've gone above and beyond to take care of me. I couldn't sleep, so cooking seemed like a good idea. Look, I took three naps yesterday, and I'm sure that's going to be more of the same for today. So, while I am awake, I wanted to put myself to good use, to do something nice. I could eat, and you bought these healthy egg whites, so I thought we could enjoy a simple breakfasts together. I have some wheat toast almost ready," he nodded to the toaster next to them, "and you get your company and a good breakfast before you are out the door. I promise I'll rest when you leave."

She frowned at him, finding it hard to argue with anything he'd just said. She knew he was going stir crazy at the house. Yesterday, between the naps, they had walked down to the end of the next block to get a cup of coffee. It had been good to get outside and go for a small walk. It felt nice, normal even, to take a walk like any normal couple might. They were far from normal, yet, but they were a work in progress and enjoying spending time together even if it was under the odd circumstances they had in front of them. "I know you, and you will not rest when I leave for work. Rusty is still home for another three hours before he has to leave, and then Provenza will be here. You'll play chess with Rusty, and I don't even want to think about the mischief you and Provenza will get into here in the condo. I'd almost be more comfortable leaving you at home alone," she pursed her lips.

"I am a grown man," he pointed to her with the spatula. "I have been home alone."

"Hmm, you most definitely are a man," she grinned. "A very strong, handsome,-"

"Ugh, am I sleepwalking? Is this some nightmare? I think I just lost my appetite. I don't need to hear how the lieutenant is a man, Sharon," Rusty groaned as he plopped down on the kitchen barstool and put his head on the table. "There are things in this household just can't be unheard."

Sharon rolled her eyes at Andy as he held back a grin. She turned to Rusty and ignored his complaint, "Good morning, Rusty."

"Here's some breakfast to settle your stomach," Andy smirked at him as he passed a plate to Rusty with a fresh omelet and a bowl of blueberries. Toast is almost ready." Andy totally ignored any relationship comment from Rusty. He and Sharon had briefly discussed it yesterday and felt it was the best thing to do right now. Rusty was venting, at least a little, and they would let him. He was teasing too, something they all did, and they were going to just let him get it out of his system. Both felt that if they just ignored it, he would eventually get over it.

Rusty eyed both of them, waiting for any comeback, and when they grabbed plates for their own food, he looked down at his plate and then back at them again. "Thanks, Lieutenant, I guess," he slightly frowned and then looked back to his plate. The toast popped on the toaster, and Sharon moved to take care of it.

"Rusty, your mom is convinced you'll be a bad influence on me this morning. She doesn't think I'm capable of making breakfast, playing a game of chess with you, and resting this morning. Oh, I can't forget that I still have to make time for Provenza," Andy said as he explained his morning plans.

Rusty finished chewing his bite and looked to Sharon, "I won't beat him too badly at chess. It will be a quick game, and then he can go back to bed. Besides, I have some work to do before I go to my class. Lieutenant, I promise to go easy on you so you can rest."

Sharon worked on the toast while Andy continued at the stove with the omelets. Sharon eyed both her guys and gave them each instructions, "I will be at work this morning. It will not bode well for either of you if I come home and find Andy has completely exhausted himself or has had some sort of setback."

"Hey! I peeled him off the floor so he didn't bleed out once. I'm not going to do anything that puts him back in the hospital. I've heard enough awkward conversations around here, and I know he wants to go home," Rusty stated.

"Rusty, I'd really like to not talk about peeling Andy off the floor," Sharon sighed.

"Sharon," Andy turned to her and reached out to touch her elbow. "I'll be fine. I'll rest. Promise. I want to rest up so I can spend time with you when you get home," he smiled sweetly at her. She returned the smile, and Rusty groaned slightly.

"Lieutenant, I'll make sure you rest," Rusty sighed and continued, "even if your reasons are nothing I want to think about today."

"Seems a bit silly to call the man 'Lieutenant,' who has made your breakfast and spends hours playing chess with you," Sharon pointed out to him.

"Yeah, right," he sighed. "Thanks for the omelet, Andy," Rusty acknowledged.

"You're welcome. I think we're off to a decent start," he winked at Sharon, the comment referring to both the day and Rusty's acknowledgement of Andy's name.

The three sat down to breakfast, a relatively quick one, as Sharon had to get to work. Rusty volunteered to clean the dishes since Andy had cooked, and he knew it would worry Sharon if Andy continued to push his recovery. She left them at home with Andy heading to the shower, and Rusty cleaning up in the kitchen.

"Have a good morning," Andy walked her to the door before he started to his shower. She collected her things and leaned up to him to kiss him goodbye.

"Please get some rest," she smiled and took his hand in hers. "Maybe we can watch a movie later today."

He raised his eyebrows, "I'm all for that. Watching a movie now with you as my official girlfriend gives me a lot of new ideas."

Sharon chuckled and patted his chest, "Hmm, maybe something less tempting," she grinned. "I'll see you at lunchtime, and I'll bring something home to eat. You just rest and enjoy your game with Rusty as well as your time with the lieutenant."

Sharon left for work and tried to switch into her work mode. Once she was out of the house, Andy showered while Rusty finished in the kitchen and put out the chess board. Andy spent the next couple hours with Rusty. The two enjoyed their match, and Rusty won yet again. Andy had to admit he was more exhausted than he wanted to be, and after they had finished, he looked to Rusty.

"I'm not going to say it, but what would happen if I admitted your mom was right, and I was a little worn out?"he asked Rusty.

Rusty flashed a grin "I don't know. I never try to admit she's right. One thing I can promise is I won't tell her you said that."

"Thanks," Andy nodded. "It can be our secret. See, we do have something in common-trying to soften the truth for your mother," he grinned at Rusty. "I think I need to lie down and rest."

"Oh, sure," Rusty perked up. "Let me get my things out of my room."

"No need," Andy stood slowly and shook his hand at Rusty. "You use your room. You have work to do, and it seems silly for me to take it over during the day when I can just nap in Sharon's room. I'm sure she won't mind. I can always turn on her television if I can't sleep, but something tells me I won't have a problem."

"Okay, sure," Rusty nodded. "Get some rest. I won't leave here until the lieutenant gets here. Let me know if you need anything."

Andy nodded and walked slowly down the hall. He gingerly walked into Sharon's room and surveyed it. He had been in here a couple nights before when the kids had called. That had been a really funny moment, one he and Sharon both had laughed about the next day. He knew it had been embarrassing for her, but he also knew she was trying to juggle her kids and the idea of moving forward with him. It was an adjustment, and he knew she just needed time to process it. Since that evening, he hadn't bothered Sharon in her room. While she was doing a good job of being honest with Andy, he knew she also still needed her private sanctuary. They weren't there yet, to the point of being completely over their issues. They were almost there, but it was a work in progress, something they kept saying, but it was true. Now, here, as he surveyed the room, he felt connected to Sharon just being in her room. It smelled like Sharon, and the décor, it was all Sharon. He wouldn't change a thing. He moved to the bed and sat down, realizing that as he did so, he was truly exhausted. He started to stretch out, and at the last minute, he decided to pull up the blanket. Once he was situated, he felt himself start to drift off quickly. Just being in Sharon's room relaxed him so he could rest.

Andy shifted hours later, happy to find someone had joined him. "How long did I sleep?" Andy asked as he reached over to pull her to his side. He was still in his sleepy state as he said that.

"If you even think about trying to cuddle with me, I'll personally haul you outside for a 'dust up' with my car," he heard.

Andy's eyes flew open, and he sat up faster than he should, "Provenza! What are you doing sitting there?" Provenza was sitting on Sharon's side of the bed, his back against the headboard and his legs stretched out in front of him. He had a crossword puzzle on his lap, and Andy could see a cup of coffee on Sharon's nightstand.

"I'm watching you, you idiot," Provenza sighed. "I was told to keep an eye on you. Here I am,"he gestured.

"That's not meant to be literal!" Andy exclaimed as he pulled himself up to sit against the headboard. He groaned as he did, his ribs still bothering him. He reached up to his neck, as the pain there was bothering him too. "You know, Sharon has a living room with plenty of furniture," he gestured.

"She also has another bedroom. Explain to me why you felt the need to sleep in her bed? I'm here waiting for an explanation, and that's not even to mention that her couch is anything but comfortable. So, let's have it. For weeks, the two of you have barely been able to stand being in the same room and for good reason. I'm your best friend, but I know you both have been idiots. Then, at some point you two must have talked because she's been in a better mood at work, and you haven't been moping, even when in the hospital. When I would check on you, she was actually there, happy to be with you, the two of you looking like you were having some private party. Now, you're back at her condo, apparently staying in Rusty's room, but when I come over for my Flynnsitter shift, here you are," he gestured. "Now, tell me the latest with you and the captain so I can call Mike and see who won our latest bet."


	31. Chapter 31

"You know, I find it particularly disturbing you've been sitting here on Sharon's bed watching me sleep," Andy crossed his arms and glared at Provenza. Provenza rolled his eyes, but neither man moved. Instead, they shifted to get a better look at one another.

"Well, I find it disturbing to come here, to the captain's house, and find you sleeping in her bed. Idiot. Quite frankly, I'm pretty tired of walking into any situation and knowing where or with whom you've been sleeping!" Provenza exclaimed.

"I'm not sleeping with Sharon!" Andy exclaimed. The two were making each other more and more agitated. Andy scowled at Provenza who just rolled his eyes at him.

"Then, what is it?" Provenza gestured. "You can't tell me to stay out of it because you and the captain have made it everyone's business. Let's not forget I had to hear her yell and scream after we left your house that horrible day we would all now like to forget."

"We're working on things," Andy explained. "We both know we messed up in pretty much every area imaginable. We also know that we've been miserable the way things have been and are better together than alone. We both want to make things work. We've acknowledged that much."

"She's said that?" Provenza's eyes grew wide as he listened to Andy. "Is this just you being delusional?" He eyed him wanting to see if Andy was serious. "How hard did you hit your head?"

"No! I mean yes! I mean, yes she said that, and no, I'm not being delusional, you duffer! We talked. Why is that so hard to believe?" Andy yelled.

"Why? You two are terrible at relationships, terrible. You both have dodged each other for who knows how long. You've put it in the middle of work, and we've all had to suffer. The last thing any of us want is to suffer through your crap any longer. It's hard to believe the two of you would finally ever do anything to figure your mess out once and for all."

"Well, we did," Andy crossed his arms again. He'd been gesturing at Provenza, and now, he looked almost irritated. "We're going to take is slowly, but we are moving forward together."

"Slowly! You can't go much slower than you have. Sloths move faster! What's the problem now?" Provenza asked. "I told her to figure it out! I didn't mean years from now when you two are flirting with each other in the same nursing home!"

"There's no problem! We want to do it right and not mess up AGAIN! Hey, she's on board, so I'm good with anything right now. I can't believe we both agreed to put the past behind us, but we did. I'm so happy, even though I'm recovering from surgery. This has been the best few days."

"Slowly," Provenza rolled his eyes. "Taking it slowly. Tell me, do you have plans for a first date before you even retire, Flynn? You're old, you realize."

"We're going to have a first date when I'm finally back home. Until then, we're enjoying being around each other," Andy explained.

"Yeah, because you haven't spent years around each other already," Provenza gestured with his hand. "Why do I have a feeling this too will blow up in your face?"

"It's not going to blow up. We're making progress. I know it," he nodded.

"Saying you are making progress is not the same as making progress, you idiot!"

"We are! The kids know; that's progress!" Andy told him.

Provenza raised his eyebrows at that admission, "The kids know? Define kids. Rusty and Nicole have known forever."

"All of Sharon's kids!" Andy exclaimed. "They were FaceTiming the other night when they saw me in the room."

"FaceTiming? What's that?" Provenza asked.

"You know, like a video chat," Andy gestured with his hand. "She was talking to them the other night when they saw me, and well," he shrugged, "they saw me. How do you not know what FaceTime is?" Andy looked at Provenza with an amused expression.

Provenza eyed Andy. He could tell something wasn't right with what Andy was telling him, "What aren't you telling me, Flynn? I'm sure her kids know you are staying here. Something smells, and it's not the captain's scented lotions or whatever," he made a face as he picked up one on her nightstand. "Lavender," he read the label. "Now, tell me the whole story because that's not it. You also said they saw you; did she tell them anything?"

Andy sighed and realized he had walked into another awkward conversation. It always seemed to happen with Provenza. It didn't help the guy was a bloodhound of a detective and could smell out a hole in a story a mile away. "Look," he started, "we were all heading to bed. She was talking to the kids."

"And," Provenza prodded as he gestured, "what was said? She told them you're now an item?"

"No, not exactly," Andy gestured as he tried to explain. "They were teasing her. She just wanted to get off the chat."

"Teasing her about what, Flynn? For goodness sakes, just out with it!" Provenza exclaimed.

"I really hate you most days," Andy said through gritted teeth as he eyed Provenza. Provenza just shrugged and flashed a fake smile.

"Go on, you idiot," he gestured.

"Fine," Andy grumbled again and sighed. "Sharon was in here," he gestured to the room, "talking to the kids. It was a group chat, so both kids were talking to her. I poked my head in," he gestured to the door, "to ask for a toothbrush, and the kids got the wrong idea."

Provenza looked around the room, piecing together the story in his mind. He looked back to Andy, noting he looked like he was still hiding something, "She was here," he gestured to the bed. Andy nodded. "You were there," he pointed to the door. Andy nodded again. "Was she in bed?"

"Ahh, yeah," Andy said quietly.

"What were you wearing?" Provenza asked.

"What do you mean? Why does it matter what I was wearing? I was going to bed you sick old man!" Andy exclaimed.

"Oh, come on, Flynn! Please tell me you were wearing something!" Provenza yelled.

"Of course, I was wearing something! I had on pajama pants!"he yelled.

Provenza scowled and nodded, "Let me guess. That's all you had on. I know you, don't forget. Even at your house, I've walked in and seen you parading around in your pants and no shirt. Let me guess that was the look that night? So, she's in bed, you ask for a toothbrush," he chuckled and continued, "dressed in, well, not much, and you wonder why the kids have the wrong idea?"

"You make it sound so terrible!" Andy yelled. "Rusty was in the living room! It only took a few seconds, and the whole family was in the room."

Provenza scowled again, "Whole family. Yes, you're in deep. You realize this could end badly for you."

"It's not going to end badly! Sharon is committed to this. We've talked about it. The kids like me. We were all having a good chat, even with the teasing. We even talked about doing another movie marathon." When Provenza eyed him with a confused glance, Andy explained, "Last Christmas, we had a Star Wars marathon day. It was one of the best days I've had. Sharon, the kids, and I sat around here all day watching the whole series."

Provenza shook his head, "And, you wonder why people thought you were dating. Then, you idiot, you had to mess it up, and don't think I'm not blaming her too because she did her own damage. You two are just determined to make this much harder than it should be."

"I know!" Andy exclaimed. "I'm trying-we're trying-to un-complicate it. Believe me! It's a little hard to do that with a nosy friend literally staring at me while I'm sleeping! Do you realize how creepy that is?"

"Do I even want to know why my top two lieutenants are stretched out on my bed in my home?" Sharon interrupted them from the doorway. Both men spun their heads toward the door, their eyes both wide as they did so. They found Sharon now leaning up against the door, her arms crossed, and a bag of food in her hand. She had an odd expression on her face, one that told them she was totally stunned at the setting in front of her.

'Sharon," Andy smiled at the sight of her, and at the same time, Provenza scrambled to get off the bed.

"Captain! I was just," he gestured as he tried to come up with any explanation. Instead, he just continued to look more and more flustered. Sharon met Andy's gaze and smiled at him, and then when she looked to Provenza jumping off the bed, she tried to hold back her smile.

"Lieutenant, I usually ask that people not put their shoes on my comforter,"she nodded. Provenza looked to her, wide-eyed, and he started to say something, but Sharon cleared her throat and continued. "Not that I'm not flattered to find both of you here, in my room, in my bed," she gestured, "but, the shoes," she made a face. "That's really a pet peeve of mine. Ask the many, many men before you," she continued to try and hold back her grin, but when Andy started to laugh, Provenza looked between them and finally got irritated.

"Oh, now you're joking with me!" Provenza exclaimed. "Many men," he shook his head. "Captain, even I know you better than that. Like I'd be here waiting for you."

"Well," she shrugged, "it is rather odd to walk into my own home and find two men waiting for me, two mean, of course as I said, waiting in my bed."

"I assure you, Captain," Provenza moved away from the bed and closer to the door where Sharon was still standing, "there's only one idiot waiting here for you like that, and let me tell you, he snores like a freight train coming through."

"Hey! I don't snore, and let's discuss that you were sitting here watching me sleep!" Andy exclaimed.

Sharon covered her mouth and started to laugh again, "I had images in my head of all the things you two would get into here at the condo. This," she was laughing even harder, "never entered my imagination. I heard you two when I walked in the door, and I assumed you were back in Rusty's room talking. I didn't realize you'd taken residence in my bed."

"Again, Captain, I can assure you there is only one person here who wants to take residence in your bed, and it's not me," Provenza scowled and made a face at the two. "On that note, I think I'll get out of here before I'm accused of anything more, Captain."

"Lieutenant," Sharon reached for his arm and touched it, "please stay for lunch. I bought food for all of us, and I think there's a cheesesteak in here with your name on it."

"Cheesesteak?" Provenza eyed her, and Sharon flashed a smile. She nodded as Andy stood from the bed and groaned as he stretched. Both turned to check on him.

"Sorry to interrupt the foodie moment," he smirked. "Provenza, you know she likes you when she brings you a cheesesteak. And," he nodded to Sharon, "before you ask, I took a great nap. This stalker," he nodded to Provenza, "sat on the bed and watched me sleep."

Sharon covered her mouth as she laughed, "That, I would have paid to see. If only Rusty had been here to capture that. I really should have taken a picture of the two of you on the bed. That would have been priceless for an office photo."

The two men looked at each other, eyes wide, and then back to Sharon. "You would do something like that."

"Hmm, yes, I would," she smiled and gave them a teasing smile.

"You know, Captain, I'd hate for the office to hear about Flynn's late night chat with your kids, all of you in your pj's from what I heard," he flashed a grin.

"Andy!" Sharon exclaimed and looked to him. He rolled his eyes and held up his hands.

"I plead medical insanity, a new defense I have come up with now. I was trying to wake up, and this guy was interrogating me," he told her.

"How about we eat lunch, and we not let anything get any further than this room?" Sharon smiled at the men.

"If I never have to step into your bedroom, let alone talk about anything that goes on in your bedroom, it will be too soon," Provenza nodded. He looked to Andy and pointed at him, "Do NOT comment on any part of her bedroom talk. I don't even want to think about it. It's bad enough, now, that I've been in her bedroom."

Sharon just continued to laugh, her head now in her hand. Provenza moved by her to head to the kitchen, and Andy walked up to her.

"Hi," he said as moved closer and chuckled.

"Hi, yourself," she stopped laughing and looked up at him. She grinned, and he shook his head. The two kissed quickly, and she squeezed his shoulder.

"I heard that," Provenza said just a couple steps into the hallway.

"Provenza, I thought we were with the 'What Happens in the Bedroom Stays in the Bedroom' mentality," Andy yelled out to him. "Of course, if you want to know, I'll tell you that yes, we kissed each other. We're kissing now."

Sharon doubled over in laughter. She shook her head at him. She'd fought this so long; they'd messed it up almost beyond repair, and yet, now, it felt so right. She had to plan their date; there was no way they could fail now. They were moving forward together.


	32. Chapter 32

The rest of the week passed smoothly with Andy getting stronger and stronger each day. He could feel it; Sharon could see it. His naps decreased both in length and frequency until the end of the week when he was down to taking one nap in the afternoon. He'd told Sharon he felt like a small toddler dropping the naps, to which she laughed, but both knew he was making progress, the progress needed so he could go home. Their time at the condo had been positive, full of progress. While it would have been wonderful to say things magically happened or problems magically disappeared, they didn't. The two were still trying to find their place with each other. It was strange, that idea, considering they had been around each other for years, but finally, they were trying to adjust to each other in a romantic setting, all still while dealing with Andy recovering from an injury and surgery.

Yes, life hadn't been a trashy romance novel the past week with the two flinging themselves at each other every moment of the day. On the contrary, it had been sometimes almost too personal, like having to do his laundry, waking him to take his basic over the counter pain medicine, and listening to him rattle off his daily exercise and schedule like he was a small child. None of that was how one wanted to start a romantic relationship, but they'd accepted things as they were and were trying to move forward. No guy wanted his girlfriend driving him to doctor's appointments right away either, not when he was trying to be the man he wanted to be, but again, they were dealing with things, and it helped they already knew each other better than anyone else. They could deal with their moods. Andy was grumpy; Sharon was tired, and Rusty was under foot. It was almost the perfect storm of problems, yet, somehow by Sunday, the two were still speaking to each other and happy.

"Aren't you going to go to Mass?" Andy asked Sharon when he walked into the kitchen after his morning shower. Sharon had continued to shower at night so both Andy and Rusty had enough hot water during the morning. That had been another inconvenience. One morning, she'd started the washing machine and dishwasher without thinking and then, listened to Andy and Rusty both complain about not having hot water for the shower The complaining had lasted all day and even into the next morning as a "gentle reminder." She had learned that lesson, and while she knew Andy wasn't trying to complain, she couldn't blame him. Here, he was stuck at her condo and just wanted a hot shower when he wasn't feeling well, and that had been a problem. Such was life, but this morning, she had gotten up early to sneak back into her room, and she'd just ended up dressing for the day and starting breakfast for the household.

Oh, yes, that was another thing-she had been sneaking around in her own condo, and the irony wasn't lost on that. While it would have made sense for Andy to sneak into her room, she'd been the one to tiptoe around the place. It had started two nights ago when Rusty had turned on a movie in the living room as he settled in for the night. Andy had gone to bed an hour earlier, exhausted from the walk he and Sharon had taken at the beach earlier in the day. Sharon had retired to her room, and she'd settled in bed with a book when she heard Andy shuffling around in the bathroom. Concerned, she waited until he was finished and then walked into the bathroom where she found him still there looking in the mirror.

 _"Are you okay?" she'd asked him as she stood in her doorway. She had on her green pajamas this particular night, and at the sound of her voice, Andy turned from the mirror and gripped the counter._

 _"I am," he said as he studied his face in the mirror. "I was checking out my bruises." He turned to her and groaned at the sight, "I was okay," he grumbled. "You in that," he gestured to her, "almost had me passing out again here on your bathroom floor."_

 _Sharon chuckled slightly and tilted her head. She started to shake her head before she pulled herself back to him, "I heard you in here. You were sleeping pretty soundly; I hope I didn't wake you while I was brushing my teeth."_

 _"No," he shook his head. "I needed to use the bathroom, and as exhausted as I am, I was stiff lying in that bed. The walk at the beach did me good, but it's hard on this old body. My back is killing me now."_

 _Sharon nodded, "Well, Rusty is watching a movie, but if you would like, I'll rub your back for you. I know you've been pushing it to get back on your feet. Tell you what," she smiled, "get comfortable in your room, and if you aren't bothered by me, I'll give you my best work." Andy flashed a grin at her and raised his eyebrows. Sharon blushed and shook her head, "That came out better in my head. I'll be glad to rub you back if you don't mind," she nodded at her correction._

 _"Mind?" he grinned. "You're offering to rub my back while I'm lying in bed trying to sleep? Sounds fantastic."_

 _"Great," she nodded. "Go," she scooted him toward his room. "And, keep it down just going back to the room. Rusty won't let either of us live this down if he knows I'm innocently back here trying to nurse you back to health."_

 _Andy turned in the hallway, "Can I request a nurse outfit?" he teased, and Sharon smacked his arm as he continued to walk. He almost grunted, but he caught himself, and Sharon shook her head. She ended up working on Andy's back for the next 15 minutes, which seemed to help him a great deal._

 _"Feels wonderful, Sharon," he mumbled after she'd been working on his back for several minutes. "I don't remember ever having a back rub this great."_

 _"Hmm, I believe you are the only one who has rubbed my back in the past couple decades," she chuckled as she worked. "Jack was terrible at it, which is no surprise. I don't think he ever put any effort into it."_

 _"Sandra hated it," he told her. "She was ticklish, so she didn't like them, and because of that, she didn't see why I'd enjoy it. So, thank you," he said again as he sighed._

 _"Your back is tense. While you are set on getting back on your feet, you need to take things slowly," she told him._

 _"That seems to be the constant theme for most anything here," he chuckled. Sharon laughed too, and when she finished rubbing his back, she slid in next to him, her arm propped up, and the two looked at each other. The room was silent, and Rusty's movie could be heard just faintly through the door._

 _"Feeling like you can sleep now?" she asked quietly. He closed his eyes as he hummed at her. She started running her hand up and down his back from where she was lying. He closed his eyes, and eventually, she felt him start to relax and drift off to sleep. She had planned to just stay a few more minutes as to not disturb him when she moved, but she ended up falling asleep. Sharon slept there next to Andy that night, both rather soundly, until just after 5:00 that next morning._

 _Sharon was alerted to her spot in the bed, Rusty's bed to be exact, when at 5:00 that next morning, Andy wrapped his arm around her in his sleepy haze. Sharon froze as she tried to remember what had happened the night before. Recalling everything, she put her hand over Andy's and squeezed it. He pulled her into his side as he rolled onto his back and sighed at his stiff muscles. That spot didn't work for him, so he turned on his side and slid closer to Sharon. He leaned in and kissed her neck as she started to stir._

 _"I like waking up to the smell of your hair," he said in a sleepy tone._

 _"What does my hair smell like?" she asked as she yawned._

 _"Lavender," he said. "I also might happen to know that's the scent you have all over the bathroom."_

 _"Hmm," she said as she squeezed his hand and continued, "I'm sorry I fell asleep in here."_

 _"I'm not," he grumbled and tried to pull her tighter into his side as he shifted again trying to get comfortable._

 _"You're still recovering, and I'm not helping," she said._

 _"You're helping so much, more than you know," he grumbled again. Sharon sat up finally and turned toward him, her hair tousled and still in her sleep haze._

 _"Flirting here will not earn you any sort of reward right now," she teased._

 _He groaned and shook his head, "Right there, that image of you, hair a mess from sleep, that's the image I want to remember forever. That's an image I love, and one I don't want anyone else to see."_

 _She started to laugh quietly, "Hmmm, my kids still see it," she grinned._

 _"Nope," he smiled at her, "not that look," he gestured with his hand. "That's not even one for the kids. I'd like to think that's just for me, the sexy Sharon look in the morning. I need that each morning, and I'm sure I'll recover very quickly."_

 _"Stop," she shook her head. "I'm already laughing. We don't need to wake Rusty. I do need to go back to my room," she bit her lip._

 _"Now, that kills the mood," he grumbled and rolled his eyes._

 _Sharon leaned down and kissed him quickly, "There is no mood, not while you are injured, not without our very special date, and certainly not in Rusty's room."_

 _"Touché," Andy nodded. He pulled on her hand, which was resting near his, and that pulled her in for another kiss. She climbed out of bed and stretched with Andy watching. He started to move to get up, and she shook her head at him._

 _"It's still early. Please rest. I'm going to go back to my room and see if I can sleep for at least another hour," she told him as she walked around the bed to tuck him in. He winked at her as she did that._

 _"I'll accept your deal provided that you rub my back again this evening," he flashed a grin. Sharon covered her mouth as she laughed and nodded._

 _"Deal, Lieutenant, and I'll take a raincheck on you rubbing my back when you are feeling better."_

 _She kissed him once more and then quietly moved from Rusty's bedroom into the bathroom, which was open. Her bathroom door was closed, so she opened it, slipped back into her bedroom, and back into her bed. Rusty seemed to be unaware, and that was fine with Sharon._

The action had been repeated the last two nights with Sharon just sleeping next to Andy. He was still in a great deal of pain, and after years and years, they weren't going to rush things now when he wasn't feeling well. It was nice; it was comforting, and it was familiar just sleeping next to one's best friend. Now, on Sunday morning, Sharon smiled at Andy as he walked into the kitchen. She'd left him in bed two hours earlier, hoping he would go back to sleep, but apparently, he hadn't been able to sleep either.

"I wasn't planning on going to Mass with you here recovering," she whispered. Rusty was still sleeping soundly on the couch. The two felt badly about making him sleep out there each night, but they weren't ready to throw him for another loop just yet by discussing a sleeping shuffle in the condo. Besides, they had both decided he was young and obviously not too uncomfortable on the couch if he was sleeping so soundly each night.

"Well, I was going to offer to go with you," he flashed a smile and pulled her in as he wrapped his arms loosely around her waist. "I'd like to go with you, that is, if you don't mind being seen with a guy like me."

Sharon's eyes flew open, "A guy like you?" she questioned. "Andy, most of the female population would love to be seen with a handsome man like you," she squeezed his arm and leaned up to kiss him quickly. "I'm just wondering when you will see my true colors and go running," she grinned.

"Never," he pecked her lips lightly. "I'd really like to go. Look, your faith is a huge part of who you are. I know that, and lucky for us, we are both Catholic. Now, I realize I haven't gone much over the decades," he sighed, "but with everything-you, my surgery, and even the improved relationship with my kids-that I'd like to go more often, to put more trust back in God, and to express my faith as I should. So, why I can't promise to go every week, and I can't promise to not get irritated at some of the traditions and expectations, I would love to join you at church," he nodded.

Sharon, still in his arms, looked down and shook her head, "I think," she paused to regroup, and she started speaking again with a somewhat shaky voice, "I think that is the nicest gesture I've ever heard. I'd love for you to come with me," she looked back up, this time with tears in her eyes. Andy gave her a sad smile and wiped her tear with his thumb.

"You aren't supposed to cry," he said quietly.

She shrugged, "I've got a lot to be thankful for right now. You offering to go to Mass," she nodded and continued, "you've got me," she chuckled in a half sob. "Thank you. My faith is a huge part of my life, and while I will not force it on any of my kids or family, it makes my heart happy, so happy, that you would share it with me."

He brushed his head against hers and he squeezed her sides, "Go, get dressed, then," he encouraged her. "We can go to Mass, and then, maybe we can get some lunch. I'm not up for a long walk at the beach like we have done already this week, but maybe we could walk around the park you like?"

"I'd really like that," she smiled. "I'll just finish this breakfast for Rusty, and if you'd like some eggs, I'll make some for you too."

"I'll make the eggs for Rusty," he gestured for her to move. "You, Beautiful, get ready for church." Sharon leaned up and kissed his cheek, and then she disappeared. It took her almost a half hour to get ready, and when she returned, Rusty was up, and both he and Andy were eating at the table. If she didn't know any better, it looked like the perfect family, and she had to grin at the comment Rusty had made to her before, about having breakfast with Andy. The situation wasn't exactly as Rusty had imagined, not yet, but Sharon certainly liked seeing two of her guys together at the table.

"Rusty, we are going to head to Mass," Sharon smiled at him as she searched for her keys in her purse. "I didn't think you were planning to go?"

"No thanks," he nodded. "I went last week.

Andy eyed him, "Is there a new memo out?"

"Huh?" Rusty asked.

Andy gestured, "Did I miss the memo? You said you went last week, so does that get you off the hook for this week? What are the guidelines? Rules for attendance?" he teased. Sharon rolled her eyes at Andy, knowing he was messing with Rusty. Rusty looked between them before he caught on as well. He sighed and gave Andy a smirk.

"Just taking a break from Flynnsitting," he flashed a fake smile. "Besides, you want to talk rules, let's talk about PDA in church, Andy. Keep it respectable," he nodded. Rusty had been working on Andy's name all week, and it was finally starting to sound almost normal. He still used Lieutenant often, but he was making progress. Sharon and Andy had discussed it, and just as he did with Sharon, sometimes calling her Sharon and sometimes, Mom, the two were good with the attempts Rusty was making.

"Rusty!" Sharon admonished him and shook her head. She looked to Andy, "Are you ready to go?"

"I am," he stood and started to clear his plate. Sharon patted his arm and took his plate from him. He sighed, but allowed her to do so. "I'll just get my wallet and coat."

Sharon looked to Rusty after Andy walked away, "I certainly hope in the future that if Andy goes to Mass with me you won't see that as an excuse not to go yourself," she told him pointedly.

"Message received, Sharon," he nodded and chuckled. "I still go more than Ricky," he grinned at her. Sharon scoffed, and when she heard Andy coming down the hall, she waved to Rusty.

"We'll see you later today, Rusty. Be good. Love you," she called to him.

"Bye guys, enjoy your church date," he chuckled.

Andy shook his head at Sharon as she closed the door to lock it, "Kid thinks he's such a comedian."

"Just to clarify, this isn't our date," she nodded. "Deal still stands that you have to be back home before we can have our date."

He offered his arm, and she looked hers through his. He looked to her, "You'll get no argument from me. I'm very excited about all the non-dates we've had, even here at the condo," he winked. "My back is feeling much, much better, and hopefully, Monday, the doc will clear me to go home. I don't want you to think I'm anxious to leave," he stopped and turned to her. Sharon smiled at him and shook her head, "I'm not anxious to go home, per se, but just to get back to normal," he explained.

Sharon nodded, "I know that. This week has been trying at times, but wonderful as well," she smiled. He nodded, and the two turned and continued to the elevator.

"Any hints about this date?" he said to her once they were in the elevator.

"No," she said very quickly. "I can't give hints on what I haven't planned yet."


	33. Chapter 33

Sharon was trying not to stare, but it was hard. This man was making her life difficult, but not in his normal way. Iyears' past, he'd made her work life difficult; the two had gone head to head on several occasions. Things had improved drastically the last few years since she'd been in charge of Major Crimes. In fact, there probably wasn't an accurate word to describe just how much things had improved, but one thing was certain; he was making her life difficult again, just now, for different reasons.

That man, the very man making her life difficult, was sitting a few feet away from her. A door and framed in office separated him, but even with that barrier, she was finding it hard to focus. He was the source of that problem, of her lack of concentration. He'd only been back to work two days now, and he was making life almost miserable for her. He didn't even know that. Sharon bit her lip and tried to focus on the expense reports staring back at her. Work. She needed to focus on work. After being in and out of the office over the last couple weeks with Andy's surgery and then his stay at the condo, Sharon had plenty of paperwork to keep her busy. Sure, she'd been to work for a few meetings and she'd brought home plenty of work to do, but she still had a growing stack of work to sort through and sign.

They had enjoyed a nice Sunday with Mass and a walk through the park. Once back at the condo, Andy had taken a nap which stretched into the late evening, giving Sharon time to get some work done and spend some quality time with Rusty. She'd managed to sneak around that night again, enjoying her quality time with Andy. Monday, Andy had a mid-afternoon doctor's appointment, and with the doctor pleased with his progress, he was cleared to go home and return to work. Sharon had worked that morning, while Rusty had stayed with Andy, and then she'd taken him to his appointment. It was all Sharon could do to then to keep Andy from going right to the office from his appointment. He had been determined to prove that he was healthy again, even though the doctor had also cautioned for him to take it easy. Instead, Sharon had lured him away from work for one last late afternoon by suggesting another walk on the beach followed by a light dinner at a little beach café. Sharon put her head in her hand as she thought back to that moment.

"So, this isn't the date?" Andy flashed one of his charming smiles as they walked toward the restaurant, which was situated right on the beach.

"No," Sharon started to laugh as she shook her head. She started to swing their arms, as the two were holding hands, and she grinned at him. "This isn't the date."

He raised his eyebrow, "You said we'd go on this amazing date when I was better. I'm better. If this isn't the first date, what is it?" Andy looked to her with a teasing glance, and she rolled her eyes at him.

"I suppose it's just a date, not the first one, though," she grinned.

"That's incredibly odd logic, Raydor. It's a date, a date between you and me, but it's not the first date?"

Sharon shrugged, "You've always said I'm complex. Why would you be surprised that this is any different. I just didn't plan this out," she gestured. "It can't be the first date."

"Well," he pulled her closer to his side and then pulled his hand out of her grip to put his arm around her before he said, "whatever date this is, I am certainly enjoying it."

Sharon leaned in further as she chuckled and nodded. "We'll get this date in soon."

"Good," he sighed, "because we apparently can't have a second date or whatever until we have this first date. I'll keep enjoying these, ahh, outings, though," he winked.

Their casual dinner had been perfect, light and fun, which was very much needed after the past few weeks they had had together. "Normal" was starting to set in, whatever that was. So, after their casual dinner, they'd gone back to the condo, where Sharon had rationalized it made sense for Andy to stay one more night. His house didn't have any food, and it seemed silly for him to go home at this late hour, even though it was still earlier than they normally left from work. Really, neither wanted to admit they had enjoyed each other's company and hated to be apart, at least not at this early stage of their dating relationship.

With all that, Sharon had promised to follow Andy home Tuesday after work to help him get situated at his house. The two had even stopped at the grocery store in his neighborhood on the way so he could restock his refrigerator. Neither had been to his house in days, but both knew the contents of the fridge most likely needed to be thrown out when they did inventory it. The two had also picked out ingredients for a simple pasta dinner while at Andy's place. Sharon knew it was going to be a slight challenge to be back in Andy's house considering the memory she still had of it, of seeing a certain someone she wanted to forget in it, but they had promised to forgive and to try and forget. She was doing that, working on it, and she realized getting comfortable in his home again was a key step.

Dinner at Andy's place had been nice that evening. Things were low-key, and they both relaxed enough to just feel like themselves. As much as they enjoyed having Rusty around, it was nice to be alone and not worry he would walk in on them, not that they were doing anything crazy, but they didn't have to worry he'd walk into the kitchen with their arms around each other or in the middle of a quick kiss. The evening had gone well, a simple one, that both needed. Andy's fridge had been cleaned out; the garbage had been taken out, and Sharon had helped him get his things unpacked. Knowing a full day at work on top of all that would completely exhaust Andy, Sharon hadn't stayed too late into the evening. Andy would never kick her out, but she knew he needed to rest if he was going to truly recover. Work was tiring enough when one wasn't recovering from surgery, so she'd left him early enough so he could get a good night's sleep.

Now, it was late Wednesday afternoon, and Sharon couldn't focus at work. Andy was the reason. She missed him even though she'd seen him all day. She missed spending time with just him at the condo, alone, even the times Rusty had been there. She apparently was smitten with her lieutenant. Yes, she now realized that dating him was a lost cause, lost in the sense that she was so totally head over heels for Andy Flynn. Sharon, the fierce police captain, couldn't even focus at work. The once wicked witch, described as such by Andy, in fact, was melting; she was hopelessly in love.

He knocked on her door as he opened it, and Sharon felt the blush creeping up her neck as she realized she had been staring at him. She smiled as she looked up at him, "Hey," he grinned at her. "I think I'm going to go to a meeting. I know Thursday is my normal night, but I've missed a few as you know."

"Oh, okay," she gave him a small smile. "That sounds like a good idea. I assume there is one around here somewhere?'

He nodded, "Near my house, in fact. They have meetings several times a week. I guess I'll call you later? If I leave now, I can catch the 6:00 meeting and then head home. Really wish I could spend the evening with you," he gave her a warm smile and met her gaze.

"I do too," she returned the smile.

"Still waiting on this date," he nodded and pursed his lips.

She let out a small laugh, "Hmm, yes, I do need to work on that. I promise I'm not stalling. I suppose I wanted you to be settled."

"Consider that I'm settled," he nodded to her and checked his watch again. "I'm going to get going now, though, so I can get to that meeting. Be careful going home, and I'll call you later."

"Just as long as it's not a work call-out," she winked at him. He chuckled and nodded as he opened her door. Sharon continued to watch him as he gathered his things and spoke to the team. She turned her attention to them, her team, and she noted that as Andy, they were starting to gather their things for the evening. Sharon stood to bid them all a good night.

"Enjoy your evening, everyone," she smiled at them as they turned off computers and cleaned up their desks. Sharon continued to stand there and looked to each member of her team.

"You too, Captain," Amy smiled at her.

Sharon watched the team leave from her doorway. Andy had been the first out, in a rush to get to his meeting. Provenza hung back, and when the rest of the team had left, he walked to her, his coat and lunch in his hand. "So, Captain," he said as he walked to her side at the door, "I'm happy for you."

"Hmm," Sharon looked to him with interest. "What's that, Lieutenant?"

He gestured, "You and Flynn seem to finally be on the same page. I won't admit this again, but I'm happy you two idiots figured this out. Don't mess it up," he nodded to her.

Sharon smiled at him and reached to touch his hand, "Thank you, Louie. We won't."

"Good because the idiot is my best friend, and I've come to think of you as a friend too. It's time my friends are happy. Besides," he shrugged, "Patrice keeps bugging me about the four of us going out together."

Sharon let out a quick chuckle, "I'd very much enjoy that, Lieutenant. Please tell Patrice I'll call her. Once Andy and I have had a few of our own dates, I think that would be lovely."

Provenza eyed her as he shook his head, "Captain, your definition of dates is terrible. It's almost like clarifying levels of murder. What, you've been in the manslaughter area and are skipping ahead, moving to 2nd Degree?"

Sharon burst out laughing as she smiled, Something like that."

"Enjoy your evening, Captain," he patted her arm. "And, yes, whenever you have the appropriate amount of dates under your belt, just call Patrice. I can't be seen as the one suggesting a double date. I need my own time with Flynn," he admitted. "I've barely seen the guy with this huge mess."

"Hmm, just apparently in my bedroom," she covered her mouth as she laughed. He eyed her and then started toward the door.

"We agreed not to discuss that, Captain," he called out to her.

"Have a nice evening, Lieutenant," she yelled back and smiled as he threw her a wave and left.

After Provenza left, Sharon continued to stand in her doorway, her mind drifting to this upcoming date with Andy. Truthfully, she'd been thinking about it for days, but she couldn't come up with just the right idea. Nothing seemed "them." Nothing seemed right. She wasn't sure what the right date was, but she needed it to be a memorable one. Not deciding on the specifics of the date was making her nervous about going on the actual date. As she thought about different options, she changed her thinking. What had made them happy lately? Their walks on the beach had, that was true, but they'd been really happy at Andy's house too where they had been able to relax and just enjoy the evening.

Then, suddenly, it clicked. She would surprise Andy tonight. The date would happen tonight. It wouldn't be anything grand; it would be just "them," just a normal evening, but she'd make him dinner and set a romantic tone for the night. She could do this. She could step out of her comfort zone because truthfully, this wasn't Sharon; displaying a romantic side terrified her, even with Andy, but she was trying. She could do this. Andy was at his meeting, and she knew where the spare key was near the garage. She checked her watch, and if she got moving, she had just enough time to swing by the grocery store, pick up something perfect for dinner, and make it at Andys place before he got home from his meeting. Yes, that would work. He wouldn't be expecting it, and they'd both enjoy it very much. The date was finally going to happen.


	34. Chapter 34

Sharon was growing more and more anxious with each passing stoplight. She glanced at her passenger seat and scowled at herself. What was she thinking? The bags of food were staring back at her, almost mocking her, not that she'd bought a lot, but she had bought ingredients for a very nice dinner. She knew she didn't have a lot of time; Andy's meetings usually lasted an hour and a half, an hour for the meeting and then a little longer as he helped to clean up each week. He always did; that was just his nature. With that in mind, she had calculated the timing in her head, knowing she didn't have a lot of it. Once she'd committed to the idea to surprise him with a date at his house, she collected her things and almost raced out of the building. She made decent time on the way toward his place, even though it was so far away. That, she knew, couldn't be helped, and Andy was headed in the same direction. As she drove, she ran through a list of menu choices in her head. Several things were too complicated or meat dishes, which was not the way to entice her vegetarian boyfriend. After several ideas, she quickly set her mind on pasta, a shrimp and linguini toss to be exact, knowing they both liked seafood and pasta. It was quick and easy, while at the same time healthy and delicious. She ticked off the ingredients she needed as she drove. The pasta wouldn't need another side, but she could do some sort of garlic bread and a salad with it. That would be perfect, and it just left her thinking about dessert. Dessert, yes, Andy wasn't a huge dessert eater, but she knew he liked cannoli, and with that in mind, she pulled out her phone to place an order for a half dozen from the bakery in the same shopping center as the grocery store.

Sharon waited until she was off the freeway and at a stop light before she made her call. Thankfully, the bakery stayed open late, knowing many of its customers were working long hours in all parts of LA. With the dessert at least reserved, she made her way to the grocery store, collected her ingredients, picked up the cannoli, and proceeded the few short blocks to Andy's house, where now, the food was causing her to re-think her evening plans. Here she was, just a few blocks from Andy's house with food almost mocking her from the passenger seat; she really wasn't good at this. She knew he would like it, but she was just terrified of doing something this bold. Sure, she was used to eating with Andy, but this, surprising him with their "first date" meal, it was making her extremely nervous. She wasn't sure why; of course, the guy was crazy about her as she was about him, but it seemed to just be the anticipation of finally marking this as their first date that had her in a whirlwind of emotions.

Whether good or bad, she had arrived at Andy's house. 6:45-she was early and still had time to get the meal started. She expected him no later than 7:30, but it gave her enough time to prep the food. As she pulled into the driveway, she made a quick decision to pull up and to the side of the garage, on the grass, where really, she'd never parked, but this was supposed to be a surprise. Andy wouldn't see her car, not as it was getting dark.. By 7:30, it would be dark enough, and her car would be hidden from sight. She parked and before she collected her groceries, she went to the side of the garage to retrieve the spare key. She and Provenza knew where it was, Nicole and Rusty too, but from work, Andy had told both of them. Honestly, the whole team probably knew where his spare key was, but for now, all that mattered was that she located it. Thankfully, it was there, right where it was supposed to be. She'd sent Rusty over to the house to get things for Andy after he'd been injured and said a silent thanks to Rusty for putting the key back in its rightful place.

After collecting the groceries, Sharon moved to the door adjacent to the garage and worked on the lock. Andy had an older home, one with a detached garage. She remembered that the lock stuck all the time; she'd heard Andy curse it before, promising himself that he would replace it. She'd warned Rusty, and he too, had said it had stuck with him. Sharon worked on it, and finally, it opened. She flipped on the lights and moved into the house, shutting the door behind her. She only had a few bags, and she was glad she'd been grocery shopping with Andy just a few days prior because she knew what he'd bought. She hadn't bought any salad dressing tonight because he'd picked up two new bottles earlier in the week. Once she was in the kitchen, she took a moment to catch her breath, and then she unpacked her groceries. She started moving around the kitchen, rolling her eyes at herself, as she knew where everything was. Yes, it was a "first date," and she knew the layout of her boyfriend's kitchen by heart. Who was she kidding?

Sharon started with the shrimp and the pasta, knowing that she could mix up the salad ingredients while things cooked. When she moved to the refrigerator, she smiled at the sight next to it. Andy had bought her favorite wine, and it was still sitting on the counter. She wasn't sure when he'd bought that; she didn't recall it from their grocery store trip, but knowing him, he could have put it in the cart without her noticing. Still, she hadn't noticed it on the counter before, and here it was now. She sighed at that and nodded. How she had forgotten to buy wine tonight was beyond her, but she also had been thinking about what Andy would like for dinner, and wine definitely wasn't it. She went to the cabinet and pulled out a wine glass, and very quickly, she opened the wine and poured herself a glass, a big glass. Her nerves were almost shot; she really wasn't sure why she was so nervous. It wasn't like Andy would be irritated she'd come over, but she couldn't help being so nervous.

Once she'd downed almost a half glass of wine almost instantly, she took a deep breath and looked around at the kitchen. Yes, it was coming together. She pulled out plates and picked up the candles she'd bought at the grocery store. Andy didn't have anything fancy in the way of a dining room table, but she could keep the lights down and set a romantic table with the candles. She moved easily around the room and then turned on music from her phone. Again, she rolled her eyes as she realized her phone was already synced with his home speaker system. She'd been to his house on many occasions, and Andy always said she had better music on her phone than he had on his. Yes, this dating had been going on a long time.

Once the table was set, she checked on the stove again, and after stirring everything, she moved to prepare the salad. She had almost jumped for joy, when, at the grocery store, she'd discovered already chopped vegetables. Yes, it seemed extremely lazy, and usually, she didn't mind chopping vegetables, but tonight, she was all about speed and efficiency, at least for dinner prep. She was hoping their date wasn't a speedy one; she hoped to relax eventually and enjoy a long evening with Andy before going home. She worked on the salad for a few minutes, taking time to check the pasta and shrimp. It all seemed to come together at almost the same time, and once she had most of the meal ready to go, she checked her watch again. 7:10. She was still okay, but realistically, he could be home at any minute. She leaned back against the counter and crossed her leg in front of the other, and that is when she frowned at herself. She was still in "work mode," not that it was bad, but it was her work attire. Yes, Andy had stared at it all day; that had been obvious. It was very obvious he'd liked her work attire, her favorite black pencil skirt with her probably too high of heels, but she loved them, and all of that had been paired with her scoop neck deep purple shirt and a black blazer. It looked very professional, but for her dinner date, it looked boring, stuffy, and not at all sexy. Yes, Andy would probably claim it was sexy, but the man would say that if she was wearing an ugly Christmas sweater.

She pursed her lips as she thought about what to do. First, it was easy; she'd take off her shoes. She didn't need to sit down to dinner with him looking like they were going to have a work meeting to discuss the department budget issues. She reached down and removed her shoes, sighing happily as she did so. Yes, the might be too high of a heel to wear all the time; now her feet were killing her. She looked down at her clothing again, running her hand over her shirt to smooth it. She shook her head; it wasn't going to work, so she tried to remember what she had packed in her car. Like most of her division, she kept extra clothing in the car at all times because they were often stuck at work. There wasn't much there. Now, her office, yes, she had a suit hanging in her office for those times, but now in her car, she didn't have much. While Andy would also most likely enjoy her gym clothing, she was not about to put that on for her date, and that was all she knew she had in her car.

With a sigh, she pushed off the counter and resigned to the idea that this would have to do, but then, it struck her. She could really shock Andy, even shock herself; she could change clothing into whatever she could find in his room. Now, Sharon wasn't intending to send the man back to the hospital with a heart attack or anything, but she was certain this would be memorable for their first date. As she slowly walked to his room to see if anything would be appropriate, she chuckled at how "strange" this first date seemed and knew if she'd ever had a first date really like this, she would have probably gone running, claiming the guy was a creep. This, as she hated to admit, was not a first date; it wasn't even a first-year date, if she could be honest. It was probably closer to a two-year anniversary at this point. As she'd been told, they were moving slower than a Sloth, and she had plans for the dinner wardrobe to throw that sloth into gear; her dinner wardrobe would put a new meaning to speed dating.

She turned on the light and quickly sucked in her breath. She'd forgotten that Andy had bought new furniture, furniture she hadn't seen yet. It almost hurt to be in the room, and for an instant, her eyes watered slightly. She shook it off and surveyed the room. New furniture. She liked it. While his old set had been almost a black color, a very dark wood, this was the opposite. It was a lighter color, one that she really liked in this setting. It made the room look bigger and alive again. Somehow, when she'd helped him get situated at home the other night, she hadn't been back in his room. It struck her now, that he'd tried to protect her, tried to almost hide the awkward situation that night. She'd helped him unpack, yes, but that had mainly been in the kitchen area. She'd cleaned out the fridge, while he had worked on other things, and as she thought more, his room door had been closed when she had used the hall bathroom. At the time, she hadn't thought anything of it, but now that the room was staring her in the face, she understood that he hadn't wanted to ruin such a nice evening. Now, she was face to face with the room, the past, and she needed to push through as they had agreed they would. So, she did just that. She nodded to herself and walked to the closet. Andy would be home any minute, and she needed to figure this out. She also didn't want dinner to burn, as she'd turned it down to a simmer, but that didn't guarantee it wouldn't burn. When she opened the closet door, near Andy's nightstand, she pulled back and looked at it. He had a picture of the two of them on his nightstand. She smiled at it and picked it up. It wasn't a new picture; it was one that had been taken back when they'd had Rusty's graduation party. It was a lovely picture of the two of them, one that she thought Buzz had taken out on the balcony. The lighting had been off, but yes, it was Buzz, because she remembered that he had worked with the photo to improve the lighting. She ran her hand over it, realizing that Andy had kept that picture by his bed for most likely, a very long time. With a deep breath, she stepped into the closet. She could do this.

His closet was overwhelming, much more than her own. The man owned more clothing than she did, and that was saying a lot. He has a special drawer area just for all his suspender sets. She shook her head at that, and she continued her search. A shirt might work. He was so tall, and she was pretty sure a shirt would be long enough on her to almost look like a dress. Yes, she could do that, and with that idea, she set her sights on the many, many options. Wearing his shirt was something she hadn't thought about before now; she'd never done that with Jack. His shirts were so wide and short, and it really hadn't been Sharon's thing. This would be different and hopefully fit the setting for their date. As she "shopped" for the right shirt, she took a deep breath when she came across his tuxedo. Oh, that man could wear a tux, and while most didn't own one, he'd had to buy one for Nicole's wedding. She remembered that discussion the night of the wedding, one of the expenses he'd complained about, that is, until Sharon told him that night she thought he looked handsome in it. Now, she realized that she'd been flirting way back when, and as she stood looking at the tuxedo now, she realized that might be the right shirt. She ran her hand over the tux; it brought back so many wonderful memories. She'd seen him in it now on a few occasions. The two had attended three charity events and one art gala together, and he'd worn the tux to each event. Sharon smiled at the memories, even the jokes she'd made with Andy about getting good use out of his tux. She pulled the hanger out and grinned at seeing the bow tie.

 _"Would you like me to fix your bow tie?" she asked him sweetly at the church. They had just arrived, and Andy had been pulling on the tie so much that it was now crooked. Andy looked at her, and she elaborated, "Your tie," she gestured, "I know you are nervous about this wedding, but we can't have you walking your daughter down the aisle with a crooked bow tie. Now, you said this wedding cost you a fortune, so it's my job as your friend, to make sure you look like a million bucks."_

 _Andy grinned at her, and she knew then that he was finally relaxing. She knew a big part of her job at Nicole's wedding was to get Andy to relax and enjoy his daughter's big day, and she was determined to calm him as best as she could._

 _"Why, umm, yeah," he nodded to her, a half-smile-half dazed look on his face before he continued, "thank you, Sharon."_

 _"You're welcome," she said quietly as she messed with the tie. The two were standing dangerously close to each other, so close that she could smell his cologne, and not that she would ask, but she was sure he was taking in the scent of her perfume. Her delicate hands worked on straightening his bow tie, and when she finished, she paused just for a second and looked up at him. The look in his warm, brown eyes, was one she hadn't seen before, and she couldn't help but smile because he was smiling at her._

 _"There you go," she said sweetly, as she patted his chest and took a very small step back. The two were still very close and had kept their eye contact. Movement out of the corner of her eye had her look away, and at that point, the moment was gone._

As Sharon stood with the bow tie now in her hand, she couldn't help but smile. She'd helped Andy with that silly tie now on many occasions, but none had been as special as that first time she'd helped him. She knew now, looking back, that they'd had a very personal moment then. That had been the moment, the moment that, even if she couldn't voice it then, that she became very interested in Andy. Something had changed in that moment. Maybe it had been the look in his eyes, but whatever it was, she saw something different in Andy, and she was sure he saw something different in her too. As she thought back to that, she pulled the tie up to her nose and smiled as she smelled Andy's cologne still on it. It was faint, but it was definitely Andy. Yes, this shirt would work. The memories were perfect.

Quickly, she undid the buttons of the tux and pulled the shirt away from the set. Without time to second-guess herself, she undressed, kicking her suit to the floor, and she put on the tux shirt. It was big, very big on her, but as she had predicted, it looked more like a dress. She eyed one of his belts nearby, and she added that, but when she discovered it was way too big for her, something she should have realized before putting it on, she took it off and bit her lip as she looked around. A tie. Yes, he'd probably hate her for it, but she could use a tie as a belt. She picked one of his very favorites, a deep purple one, and she looped that around, mainly to keep the shirt from sliding all over the place. It truly was large on her, but she had enough mystery and enough of a reveal to hopefully make it perfect for the evening. She looked to her suit on the floor and for the first time, she shrugged it off without a thought. Normally, she was meticulous about hanging up her suit, but tonight, she just didn't care. She'd deal with it later. Andy was due home soon, and she didn't want to be stuck in his closet hanging up her suit.

Sharon paused at the mirror when she walked out of the closet, and she almost ran back in to put on the suit. She wasn't sure she could do this, that she could pull it off tonight. Here she was, a middle-aged, divorced mother of three, a police captain on top of it, and she was standing in her lieutenant's home, in his dress shirt, and she immediately felt ridiculous. Although, she nodded to herself, this wasn't her lieutenant, not right now. This was Andy, her sweet Andy, her boyfriend Andy, and she could do this, or at least she hoped. She didn't have time to debate the issue; she'd been gone from the kitchen for a few minutes and needed to check on the food.

The food was fine, and she spied her purse after she stirred everything on the stove and checked the pasta. She noted it was 7:19, and quickly, she moved to her purse to pull out her makeup bag. She didn't have time for a full re-application of her makeup, but she touched up her lipstick and blush before pulling out her brush. She ran it through her hair, making sure the curl stayed, and when she had finished that, she took a deep breath. She was ready.

She started mentally running through the list of everything in her head after she poured a second glass of wine. The salad was ready. The bread was ready to heat quickly, and the pasta and shrimp were almost ready. Dessert. She'd forgotten dessert in the car. Sharon looked at her wardrobe, her ridiculous idea for romantic dinner attire, and she groaned. Dessert was in the car still, and that meant she would have to go and get it. She scoffed, but then she remembered she'd parked in a hidden spot, making it much easier to sneak outside without the neighbors seeing her. Plus, as she glanced to the window, it was almost dark. The orange sky was fading fast, so she nodded to herself, took a deep breath, and another large gulp of wine, and she started for the door. Andy had no idea what effort she'd put into this night. Right now, dinner at any fancy restaurant sounded easier for a first date.

Thankfully, she retrieved the dessert and remembered why she'd forgotten it. She had placed it on the floor, and it had slid out of view. With her dessert in hand, she walked back to the door. Panic set in when she jiggled the lock, and it wouldn't open. The door wouldn't open. Sharon needed the door to open now, and it wouldn't open. If panic had levels, hers escalated quickly to complete panic, as she twisted and twisted the door. That stupid lock, the dumb door knob, her new nemesis-Andy had complained about that door so many times, and here it was, failing Sharon now too. She couldn't even get the spare key because she knew exactly where it was; the key was on the counter next to her purse. She was locked out of Andy's house, and what was worse, she was wearing his tux shirt, his stupid tux shirt, and here she was, half naked in his yard. She was going to have to wait on Andy to unlock the door. It was mortifying; this was definitely not how she wanted their date to start. Sharon looked around and decided to try the door by the deck. It was nearby, and maybe, if by any luck at all, it was unlocked. She knew it wouldn't be unlocked; Andy treated the house like Fort Knox; it was on lockdown all the time, and she was just glad he even had a spare key anywhere in the vicinity of the house. Sure enough, when she reached the door off his deck, it was locked. She could see dinner on the stove, and she groaned, hoping it wouldn't burn while she was stuck outside. Her beautiful dinner, sizzling away. Why couldn't dinner now cook as slow as a sloth? She also groaned at the sight of her phone, sitting on the kitchen counter just where she'd left it. As she walked back to the side entrance, she debated between crying and screaming. She tried the door again, on the off chance it would magically open. It didn't.

She put her head against the door and closed her eyes. Yes, the evening had turned into a disaster. She should have just gone home, and sighed knowing that wasn't even an option right now. Noise off to the side scared her, and she turned quickly.

"Oh my," she gasped, "Lieutenant!"

Provenza, who was next to the garage, looking for the spare key, jumped up and spun around toward her. "Captain!" he exclaimed, and instantly, Sharon's hands flew to the shirt as she tried to pull it down and then pull it closed more than it already was. He walked toward her, and in the dim light, she could see he was trying to make out what she was doing. "What in the world are you doing here? I didn't see your car!"

"What am I doing here?" she almost yelled at him. She wasn't mad, but mortified. He continued to walk toward her, and she knew the moment he registered just what she was doing and even worse, what she was wearing. "You didn't mention coming to see Andy."

"You didn't either," he gestured at her. "I certainly wouldn't have come over here if I had any idea you'd be here and in that," he made a face. "I don't even want to know, but I know too much just glancing at it. You, Flynn's shirt-I don't want to know!"

Sharon sighed and looked to the sky, "I was surprising him, making him dinner," she explained.

"That says more than dinner," he gestured at her again and scowled. "Idiot.-he's an idiot. He and I were going to watch a game. We ordered pizza. I sent him a text while he was on the way to his meeting, and we planned this tonight. He told me 7:30, but said if I got here first to let myself in. It's 7:30, and he's not here. I'm not about to miss my pizza guy at the door, so here I am."

"Well, I came over here after I spoke to you, a spur of the moment idea, to make him dinner. It's spontaneous, and I'm trying to do more and more of that, so here I am!" she exclaimed.

Provenza shook his head and then shrugged out of his coat. "Here," he offered it to her. "I think we will both feel more comfortable with you in that." Sharon accepted the coat, his Dodger jacket. Yes, they were probably going to watch a game, maybe not even a live game, as the men were known to watch old games on occasion, but she gladly took his Dodger jacket and slipped it on. It didn't completely fix the situation; she still had on just Andy's shirt and no shoes, but she felt a little better about her appearance. "Why are you standing here, and where's his key?" he asked her as it registered she was standing outside in just that shirt.

Sharon gestured to the house, "I locked myself out, or I should clarify, the door lock is-"

"Broken," he nodded. "Flynn complains about that stupid lock all the time, but he still hasn't fixed it. Idiot," he grumbled.

"Exactly," Sharon sighed. "I've got dinner on the stove, and I ran out here for dessert," she held up the box. "I'm locked out, and obviously, I had no plans to be in public like this," she put her head in her hands as she groaned. Provenza looked around, trying to assess the situation.

"I'm guessing you checked the deck door?" he asked.

"Of course," she mumbled through her head in her hands. Provenza just nodded.

"All I wanted to do was to sit and watch the game with Flynn. A simple game with a greasy pizza. Patrice never lets me order greasy pizza, and I just wanted that for one night. I didn't want the image of you wearing that," he gestured, "burned into my memory."

"I changed because my work attire was boring. I just wanted to do something different," she sighed.

"Oh, it's different, that's for sure," he scoffed. "Please, please, do not wear a white shirt to work anytime soon. It will be too soon!"

Before Sharon could say anything further, the two heard Andy's car pull into the driveway. Sharon finally pulled her head out of her hands and looked to Provenza.

He held up his hands, "I'll go deal with Flynn, soften the blow," he nodded to her and her outfit. "I will gladly get out of here as soon as I get my pizza. I can eat in in the car on the way home, double anchovies and double onions. We always order two because Flynn won't eat anything touching my anchovies and onions. So, I'll take my pizza off your hands and be out of here. I will NOT be back anytime soon."

"Thank you," Sharon said, almost out of breath. She was having trouble breathing, almost feeling like she was going to have a panic attack, and she focused on breathing while Provenza disappeared around the side of the house. She looked around, totally mortified of the situation. At any second, Andy was going to walk around and see her. She wanted to die.

Provenza walked around the corner again, but without Andy. Sharon's eyes narrowed as she saw him eating a slice of pizza with one hand while juggling the two pizza boxes with another. "You're eating pizza!"

He looked to her, "Look, it was the pizza guy, not Flynn. He's late. Some people drink when they are stressed; I eat. The sight of you here," he gestured with the pizza boxes, stressful, so I'm eating."

Sharon banged her head against the door, and as she was doing that, the two heard another car. She looked to Provenza, and he nodded to her that he would deal with Andy. Provenza put the pizza boxes down on a planter, and he started around to the side of the house again. This time, as he returned, Sharon could hear Andy talking too.

"Sharon's here?" he said. "I don't see her car." As he said that, he rounded the corner with Provenza right behind him. "Ahh, oh!" his eyes grew wide as he surveyed the scene. He quickly moved toward Sharon, where she had planted herself against the house to try and stay as out of sight as possible.

"Sharon! I had no idea you were coming over here," he exclaimed as he put his key in the lock to open the door. Yes, the simple thing to do with a broken lock would have been to go to the front door or even the deck door, but Andy worked on the broken door where Sharon and Provenza had been standing.

"It was supposed to be a surprise," she found her voice. "Surprise," she said weakly. "I parked next to the garage, out of sight. I made dinner," she said, feeling the tears building in her eyes, "but it's probably burned now."

Andy sighed and nodded as he worked on the door, "Why won't this stupid thing open?"

"Because the lock is broken, you idiot!" Provenza informed him. Sharon and Andy turned to Provenza and noted he was eating a second slice of pizza.

"That pizza smells terrible! Who eats in a situation like this anyway?" Andy yelled.

"Stress eating!" Provenza told him and continued, "but, why I'm still standing here, is beyond me! Now that you are here, you can deal with her and her plans for the night," he sputtered, "and I can be on my way with my pizza."

"Obviously, this evening didn't go as any of us planned!" Andy yelled again just as the door finally opened. He had almost kicked in the door in frustration, but finally, his messing with his key in the lock opened the door. Andy turned slightly and put his arm on Sharon's shoulder to gesture for her to enter first. He looked to Provenza, "Just let me make sure we don't have a fire."

Provenza nodded and followed Andy. As much as he didn't want to step into Andy's house that evening, he did want to make sure it didn't catch on fire. Sharon moved quickly into the house, and her loud groan could be heard by both men.

"The shrimp burned," she said with an exasperated sigh. "I burned dinner."

"Since there's no fire, I'm going to go. I'll see both of you tomorrow," he nodded. "Flynn, next time, my house," he smirked, "and you owe me $20 for the pizza. Captain, remember, we discussed no white."

Sharon and Andy both turned to him and scowled. Provenza nodded to them as he turned and left through the same door that had caused all the headache for the night. Sharon put her head in her hands and felt Andy pull her in for a hug.

"It's okay," he sighed. "I had no idea you were coming over this evening. A new guy came in, and I've been talking to him. I'm so sorry," he said as he ran his hand over her back. He used his other hand to turn off the burner. In Sharon's quick movements, she'd pulled the skillet off the stove, but she hadn't turned off the burner.

"I'm so sorry! I just wanted to surprise you, to do something spontaneous, to step out of my shell a little. I rushed over here to make dinner, and I've created such a mess," she started to cry.

"Don't cry, Sweetheart," he sighed again. "You're still wearing Provenza's jacket," he told her, and when he pulled back to just smile at her in hopes of getting her to stop crying, his eyes widened again, "Wait, what are you wearing? I thought Provenza gave you his jacket because you were cold," he stated as he tried to unwrap her from her bundled up state. She sighed and shook her head.

"No," she looked to the ground, "that makes all this even worse. I had planned this, our first date. I was barely wearing anything, Andy, and Provenza is the one who got the show."


	35. Chapter 35

Not much was said. The evening was not what either had planned nor expected; it was quickly turning into a disaster. Andy took Sharon's hand, guided her across the room, planted her in one of the kitchen chairs, returned to the stove, and put on a kettle of tea. Sharon was embarrassed and mad at herself; she'd almost pulled it off, a lovely evening, and it had gone horribly wrong. While she sat, she didn't notice that Andy cleaned up their burned dinner. She snapped out of her haze when he put a steaming cup of tea in front of her and sat down in the chair adjacent to hers with a matching cup.

"So," he said quietly as he reached out and ran his finger over her hand trying to get her to look at him and continued when she finally did, "this looked like it was going to be a lovely evening." He gave her a soft smile, and she just shook her head and sighed.

"Why did I have to go outside? I don't know why I did any of this! It was all a silly idea. Andy, I'm so sorry," she sighed again before she took a sip of her tea.

"Don't be sorry," he said again quietly. His voice had a very calm, soothing effect, which was very charming to Sharon. Considering he could yell and scream at the lowest of dirt bags, Sharon loved this tone, one most people never heard from Andy. "I'm so sorry this was a disaster. If I would have been on time, it wouldn't have been an issue either. Provenza," Andy chuckled, "he's always part of the problem, but I'm so happy you came here trying to surprise me. I'm definitely surprised, and we can still salvage the night," he tugged on her hand and gave her another soft smile.

Sharon found her voice after she sipped on her tea . She put her cup downbefore she spoke, "I burned dinner. Andy, this was my idea of a surprise first date, and I ruined it. Let's just forget it and call it a night."

Andy frowned, almost in a pouting tone, "I don't want to call it a night. I am really glad you are here, and I ran off Provenza to spend the evening with I you." He reached for her fingers and laced his with hers. She glanced up at him, and he shrugged and then grinned, "I'd really like you to stay awhile. We can figure out something to eat."

Sharon bit her lip and felt herself blushing again, "I don't want to be a burden."

"Please," Andy waved her off and made a small noise, "I already cleaned up the dinner mess, so now, it's just you, me, and whatever we can scrounge up. Oh, my pizza is outside!" Andy jumped up and started for the door. Sharon called after him.

"Don't get locked outside," Sharon yelled as he jogged down the hall. She shook her head thinking about the fact they were going to eat cold pizza for their romantic dinner date and sat there for a few moments replaying the night's events in her head. Suddenly, she remembered the cannoli was also outside, so she stood to go and at least retrieve their dessert. She didn't get to the door before she met Andy coming back inside.

"What's wrong?" Sharon asked him, but the detective in her should have noted his empty hands before asking that.

"He took all the pizza!" Andy exclaimed. "Provenza! He took both pizzas. Guy didn't even leave my pizza. Seriously, how is that guy still my friend?"

Sharon burst out laughing, the laughter finally the stress relief Sharon needed from the tension of the evening; the whole mess just kept getting worse. Andy ran his hand through his hair, and when she looked up at him, she asked, "Did you see the cannoli? I had a box sitting outside next to the planter."

Andy eyed her, "There was nothing there. I'll check again, but I'm guessing if he took the pizzas, he took dessert. He'll complain about running into you here, especially dressed like that," he gestured at her and quickly smiled, "not that I'm complaining at all. You look lovely, but I can only imagine Provenza. He'll justify stealing the cannoli as his damage control for the night."

"Hmm, yes, not my finest moment running into him outside," she sighed. Andy put up his hand, "I did get something," and he reached for his shoulder where Sharon hadn't noticed her gym bag. "Look, I know you put a lot of effort into this evening and not just with dinner. I know you are probably a bit uncomfortable in my shirt, but I'd gladly let you wear it anytime," he winked at her as she started to blush. "I got your bag from the car because I'd love for you to stay for awhile and know you would be more comfortable in probably anything else but what you are wearing."

Sharon reached for his hand, "You know me better than I think I know myself," she let out a loud sigh. "Thank you. How did you know my bag was in the car?"

Andy rolled his eyes, "Sharon, you just said it yourself that I know you maybe better than you know yourself. I've been riding around with you for days, helping you with things from the car, and besides that, we work together. I know you keep your gym bag in the car. Now, I've brought you your bag because I know you are probably ready to crawl into a hole and pull a blanket over your head. So, go ahead and change. We can reserve that shirt or anything like it," he winked, "for another day."

Sharon let out a long sigh and gave him a small smile, "Thank you. You do know me, and how is it you are able to relax me when I'm most stressed?"

"Ahh," he pointed a finger at her, "there's an idea. I can at least pay you back for one of my many back massages. Get changed, and we can talk about that here later. First order of business is dinner."

"Dinner," Sharon rolled her eyes and looked away. Andy put his finger on her chin and gestured for her to look toward him. She turned with a slight frown.

"I get to eat with you. Whatever we eat, it doesn't matter. We could have a bowl of cereal, and it would be the best last first date ever."

Sharon finally smiled at that, "Best last first date?"

He shrugged, "I don't plan to have any future first dates, do you?"

"No," she smiled brightly at him. She reached for his hand and gripped it tightly. "Thank you. I'll go change."

Andy nodded and followed her down the hall. She walked into the guest bathroom, but before she closed the door, Andy stopped in the doorway. "You could have used my bathroom. I don't mind sharing, even with a girl," he grimaced. Sharon chuckled and nodded.

"I'll remember that. This is fine for right now. I'll be right out," she told him.

"I'll see about dinner. I'm starving now that I have food on my mind," he told her.

"I am too, but there's not much. I did make a salad, and there's bread. That doesn't sound very filling for the evening," she explained. Andy nodded and walked toward the kitchen while she changed.

Sharon joined him a few minutes later, now in a plain gray t-shirt and a pair of light blue yoga pants. Andy smiled at her causal appearance, and she rolled her eyes. "You get my best look," she teased.

"I know," he nodded ignoring that she was teasing. "I enjoy all your looks. You look fantastic, perfect for pizza."

"Pizza?" Sharon asked.

He nodded, "I couldn't get it off my mind. I just ordered a pizza, and they said it would be here in about 45 minutes. I figured that was enough time to enjoy our appetizer, this garlic toast," he gestured to it, "as well as our salad. By the time the pizza gets here, we will be ready for the third course of our meal. I can't replicate cannoli for dessert, which, by the way, I'm very saddened to hear we are missing out on that, but I can offer you an alternate dessert option."

Sharon grinned, "Really? And, what might this alternate dessert be?"

"Graham crackers," he nodded as if that was the most normal thing two adults would eat for dessert. "Stop," he gestured with his hands, "I know you are going to tell me it's too much, that you don't deserve such gourmet treatment, but I do like to keep my reputation here and keep my favorite lady happy. I always have a supply of graham crackers on hand for the two little monsters who invade my life on occasion."

Sharon started laughing again, and Andy walked to her. He opened his arms, and Sharon wrapped hers around him. "Thank you for this," she sighed. "I'm so sorry."

"Stop it," he told her. "No apology. People will be jealous of our first date. The food doesn't matter to me, just the company. Having a first date at home is even better, but I say, we just stop calling it a first date." Sharon looked up at him, slightly confused, and he shrugged, "All things aside, when would you really say we had our first date? I'm serious," he said as she was about to protest.

She bit her lip and looked away. He tugged on her arm at his side, and she looked back, sighed, and admitted, "Nicole's wedding."

"My thoughts exactly," he grinned and kissed her lips quickly before pulling away from her. "I realized that day I really liked you, even if we were both trying to keep things on a professional level, or I guess, friendly level since you admitted we were friends," he smiled. "It fits the criteria for a first date," he nodded. "We had dinner, dancing, and quite the venue for it all."

Sharon chuckled as she looked to the ground. She finally looked up to find his brown eyes looking at her, "Let's just remember, then, if that's our first date, that I asked you out." Andy's jaw dropped open, and she shrugged. "It's true, Lieutenant. You came into my office, still upset about the wedding, but finally ready to admit that you needed to go. You were going to go alone; I offered to go with you."

"Bossy and demanding," he grumbled and kissed her again quickly. "That was just one more thing I liked about that day, he winked. "I liked your strength, your stubbornness, and your refusal to leave my side. You were amazing at that wedding, and I certainly found it attractive, even if then I couldn't put words to it or even act on it really when I did figure it out. I'm just glad we finally have figured it out."

"I am too," she sighed and buried her head in his shoulder. "Would you mind if we ate? I'm so hungry."

"Dinner is served," he gestured toward the table where he had put out the salad she'd made along with the garlic bread. "I took the liberty of ordering a veggie special for our pizza. Stupid Provenza for getting me stuck on the idea of pizza tonight. We really should reserve pizza nights for times when we're with Rusty," he rolled his eyes. Sharon laughed and sat where Andy was holding out her chair for her.

"Thank you," she nodded to her chair. "Yes, while much of the evening is ruined, a murder call-out and Rusty sitting here with us would definitely be the two things that could further ruin a romantic dinner," she winked. Andy grinned and reached for her hand.

"I'm so glad you came over here," and when she started to roll her eyes, he tugged on her hand. "Hey, I'm serious, all joking aside. It is a wonderful surprise. You rushed here from work to plan this special evening for us. I'm very touched; it means a lot."

Sharon squeezed his hand, and the two settled in for their light dinner. Their string of bad luck changed when the pizza arrived 15 minutes early.

"Your Italian feast," he winked at her as he produced the pizza box. She shook her head, amused at his playful attitude. She turned toward the living room.

"Would you mind if we ate in there? I'm so exhausted, and to be honest, curling up on the couch with you and a slice of pizza sounds wonderful," she asked.

"Perfect idea," he gestured to the couch. "I'll bring the graham crackers."

After Sharon finished laughing at Andy's silly comments, the two settled in for the evening. They had spent many evenings together, even before he'd been sick, so they were used to watching television together.

Andy started flipping through the channels, and he suddenly stopped and turned to Sharon, "Don't even ask if we can watch; that will ruin our date." Sharon's face lit up, knowing what Andy was suggesting, and she gave him a sad, flirty face. "That won't work," he pointed at her. "We're not watching his show."

"So, you acknowledge it is his show!" Sharon exclaimed.

"No!" Andy said quickly and then stared at her. "We will not speak of it tonight."

"Promise," Sharon nodded and held up her hand. She chuckled as Andy turned back to the television to find something they could watch.

"Ooooh," Sharon pointed at the television with a piece of pizza in her other hand, "a romantic comedy, maybe?"

Andy looked at the title and read the description on the screen and nodded, "That, I can handle. You, me, pizza, a romantic comedy, and of course, graham crackers-what more could one want from a first date?"

Sharon moved closer to Andy and hummed as she snuggled into his side and tucked her feet up under her legs, "I suppose the only thing a girl could want is a second date."


	36. Chapter 36

It was going to be a good day. Sharon knew it. It had started well, even after a somewhat rocky evening. Well, the evening hadn't ended on a rocky note, far from it, as Sharon smiled at the memory. Even with their disastrous dinner, the two had managed to salvage a lovely evening. She let out a half snort, half laugh, thinking about it, as she made her cup of tea in the office break room. Pizza and graham crackers for their first real date-it was ridiculous, but it was perfect, just perfect. It defined who they were, and yet, it looked absolutely absurd to anyone on the outside.

 _That evening, after finishing their food, the two had snuggled in together on the couch ready for a romantic comedy. She was glad there had been no real plot, other than guy and girl end up together because she didn't remember a lot of it. She'd felt like a giddy college co-ed curled up with Andy. The two had definitely made some progress in their relationship, nothing too outlandish, but with everything that had gone on up to this, they hadn't kissed much really, just a quick kiss here or there. Even curled up together in Rusty's room at the condo, Sharon had repeatedly told herself that Andy was sick and needed to recover. While she'd stayed with him each night, she'd kept her distance, as tough as it was to do. Now that Andy was back home, things were improving slowly. It was almost like she was afraid he was like a bowl in an antique store, about to break at any moment. As each day passed and Andy got stronger, Sharon was realizing he wasn't going to break. So, they'd spent a great deal of the movie kissing and making out with each other, respecting that they were moving, slowly as it seemed, into new territory. So, for the first time, really since getting him resettled at home, they had enjoyed their date and spending time together. When Sharon had left to go home, finally, at almost midnight, Andy had frowned at her._

 _"I don't like you driving this late, back to the condo," he told her. She raised an eyebrow._

 _"You do realize I'm a police captain. I am a big girl, and I can find my way home," she told him._

 _"I know that," he said, a bit irritated. "It still doesn't change that I can worry about you. I care about you, Sharon, and whether it was you, Nicole, even Rusty or any of the kids, I know there are a lot of creeps out this late, and I don't like you having to drive home. Plus, we both worked a full day, and I know how tired I am, and I don't have a long drive."_

 _"I'll be fine" she leaned up and kissed him quickly, as she squeezed his arms. "Thank you for caring. I'm not tired, not after spending the majority of the evening with you right there," she gestured to the couch. "Just make sure you brush your hair before work tomorrow," she teased and reached up to smooth down his hair, hair that she'd been running her hands through for the last couple hours._

 _"You're one to talk," he winked at her, repeating the motion she'd just started with his hair. "I can't tame that, though," he nodded to her hair. She giggled and pulled at her purse to put it on her shoulder._

 _"I'm sorry again about-" she was stopped when he leaned in and kissed her._

 _"No sorry, just stop. I'll keep doing that if you keep apologizing," he winked. Sharon just laughed and nodded._

 _"So, I'm going to pick you up in the morning," he clapped his hands together, and she gave him an odd look. He nodded, "I'd like to see you first thing. I'm coming with coffee. Are we still on for 'Operation Provenza' tomorrow?"_

 _Sharon giggled again, "Yes, I can't wait. Text me when you are on your way."_

 _He raised his eyebrow, "You conceded quickly."_

 _She shrugged, "Maybe, I'm trying to let go of needing to always feel in control. It's nice to let someone in, someone who cares about me."_

 _"Oh," he grinned as he got right up next to her ear and whispered, "I really, really, really care about you, so much," he said in a low tone, as he kissed her neck. She let out a long sigh and smiled._

 _"I have to go," she told him. "I'll see you in the morning, and I'll text you when I get home."_

 _"Not if I call you first," he winked, and with that Sharon was out the door. Andy watched her go, waving as she pulled away. He gave her 45 minutes before he called, and when he did, she was almost home, a street away and ready to pull into her building parking garage. Sharon remembered talking to Andy until she was at her front door, and then she hung up for fear of waking Rusty at the late hour._

 _Sharon almost jumped back when she opened the door and saw Rusty on the couch engrossed in a movie, "Rusty," she clutched her chest, "what are you doing up this late?"_

 _"Hey," he turned to her, "I was kind of waiting on you. I sent you a text a couple hours ago, and I was a little worried. I didn't think you were on call, but I was about to call the lieutenant, err, Andy, soon to see if he'd seen you."_

 _"Oh," she nodded and closed the door. "I'm sorry I missed seeing your text." Rusty continued to stare at her._

 _"Were you at the gym this late?" Rusty frowned as he took in her appearance. Sharon turned, a bit confused._

 _"What?" Sharon asked, walking toward the kitchen._

 _Rusty shifted and looked to her there, "Your gym clothes, your hair," he gestured._

 _"Oh, yes," Sharon nodded. "I did have a bit of a workout," she nervously laughed and then cringed as she rounded the corner to the refrigerator. She pulled out a bottle of water and silently told herself that she needed to do much better sneaking back into her house. "Yes, that must have been why I didn't hear my phone, just finishing things," she nodded. She walked back around into the living room. "I'm exhausted, though, and I have an early day."_

 _"Okay," Rusty nodded and focused his attention back on the screen. "Working late tomorrow?"_

 _"No," she smiled as she stood in the doorway leading to her room as she turned to look back at Rusty, "I should not have a late night. Would you like to get dinner with me?"_

 _"Yeah," he smiled. "That sounds good."_

 _"Oh, how was your school thing?" Sharon asked, totally blanking on what Rusty had told her he was doing for the evening. She needed to get better at remembering details with him right now, but she was focused on another man in her life. She was remembering details just fine; they weren't details about Rusty, though, just ones about Andy, such as how his hand felt in her hair, how he kissed her so softly-_

 _"Sharon?" She snapped out of her thoughts and looked to Rusty. He was staring at her like something was wrong. "Are you okay"_

 _"Sorry," she waved him off, "just a long day. School?"_

 _"Umm, yeah," he nodded, "fine. So, burgers tomorrow?"_

 _"Sounds like a date," she grinned at him. She waved and turned back to her room._

 _"Oh, and Sharon," Rusty called to her again, "I know it's the lieut-I mean Andy's meeting night tomorrow, but if you want to like have him over here for dinner Friday or this weekend, I'm cool with that," he nodded to her._

 _Sharon's face brightened, "Thank you, Rusty. I'm sure we can work out something. I appreciate your effort with Andy."_

 _Rusty shrugged, "He's good to you, and he makes you happy. I get a chess game or two out of it," he grinned. "Plus," he nodded to her, "I can't remember you smiling like that ever when you've come home from the gym," he smirked._

Now, as Sharon worked on her cup of tea, she stopped stirring, noticing that she'd been stirring the drink for at least a minute. Her mind had wandered to the previous evening, something she saw happening more and more as she and Andy spent more and more time together. She needed to make a conscious effort to separate work and personal thoughts. It was just hard when the sexy man in her personal life sat a few feet from her in her work life. Still, she wouldn't see him for a couple hours this morning and needed to focus on work now. It was hard to do because she'd already spent time with him this morning.

He'd picked her up just after 5:00, which was absurd, but they had a plan, one they'd hatched that evening after their couch time had ended. The plan revolved around their getting to work ahead of Provenza, and they had successfully done that.

Now, it was almost 7:00, and she needed to make herself scarce. That wasn't going to be too hard; she had plenty to do, starting with a meeting in Andrea's office about an upcoming case. She'd asked if Andrea could pick her up on her way to work for their early meeting, and as she checked her watch, she started gathering her cup of tea to meet up with Andrea. She really should have used a travel mug, but she'd "traveled" with it home a few days ago and kept forgetting to bring it in. Andy had brought her a cup of coffee when he'd picked her up, but now, that was long gone.

Sharon received a text from Andrea when she stepped off the elevator in the lobby, and she moved outside quickly to meet her.

"Andrea, hi," Sharon said as she got into the car. "I hope you don't mind I brought my tea."

"Mind?" Andrea asked with a sarcastic tone. "Not at all, just as I hope you don't mind we don't meet in my office."

"Okay," Sharon turned to her with a questioning glance. "Where are we going?"

"Just to get breakfast. I have heard from chatter that you have things to tell me," she gave a nod to Sharon. Sharon blushed and smiled. "Yes, that's it," Andrea gestured at her.

"Who in the world told you that? I know it wasn't Andy," Sharon looked to her.

"Just another lieutenant of yours, and if you think I ever talk to Mike Tao about personal things, think again," she winked. "A lot of us have been worried about you. I'm ready for the latest details."

While the women were catching up and taking care of official business, Andy was diligently working at his desk. Yes, Sharon had an early meeting, but that hadn't been the reason for their extremely early work arrival. No, they had plans to deal with Provenza, to torture him just a little more after the incident, or really incidents, last night. He was still irritated Provenza had taken all the pizza, not to mention the desserts, and Sharon was mortified Provenza had gotten a show with her in Andy's shirt and not Andy. So, the first phase of the plan involved Andy getting to work before Provenza, just to annoy him. He knew it would also raise a few questions. Provenza usually arrived early, exactly when was the question, so Andy and Sharon had planned on a "safe" arrival time of 5:30ish to get ahead of him.

After Sharon dropped off her things at her desk, she vacated the office, but kept her light on, making it clear she was in the building. Andy knew she had a meeting with Andrea a bit later, but the plan involved her not being in the office when Provenza arrived.

Things worked out perfectly; Sharon was able to get out of the office before Provenza arrived, and when he did, he walked in with Julio. The two men were talking, and before Andy could even start a conversation with them, Mike arrived.

"Morning," Andy looked up from his computer where he was using his extra time at work to catch up on some paperwork.

"Flynn," Provenza frowned as he looked at his lunch, obviously packed by Patrice because it had 'Louie' written on the bag with hearts around it, and he threw it away. "Why are you here so early?"

Andy just shrugged, trying to ignore Provenza as he glanced back to his computer screen and kept typing, "Couldn't sleep, so I just got here early."

Amy walked in and nodded to the men as she started to get her things situated at her desk. Andy continued to type, and Mike cleared his throat. "Is the captain in already too?"

"Yeah," Andy nodded, his eyes still focused on his computer screen, "she's here, or she was. Had an early meeting with Andrea, so she's with her right now."

"Ahh," Provenza nodded as he listened. He sat in his chair and loosened his tie, "That explains that, then. I could have sworn I didn't see her car in the parking garage, and then with her light on, I was wondering who had been in her office."

"Oh, Andrea picked her up," Andy noted as he stood and walked to the printer to pick up his paperwork. "Her car isn't in the garage either." He dropped a quarter in Provenza's jar and smirked at him. "Keep the change," he grinned and walked away.

"What's with him?" Julio nodded to the team as he asked. Provenza kept his eyes on Andy while he walked back to his desk.

Amy gave a confused look too, and she just shrugged her shoulders. Mike narrowed his eye, watching Andy too.

"Feeling better, I guess, Andy?" Mike tried, hoping that was the reason for his good mood. Andy, well, none of them, ever overpaid Provenza for the printer, and usually Andy got into an argument about paying at all.

"Ahh, yes and now," Andy told them. "I'm feeling stronger. My ribs still hurt, but the pain is lessening. I'm just really exhausted. That's been the big thing, so little sleep," he smiled. "I guess I'm also hungry," he said, setting up the first "trap" for Provenza. He looked at his watch, "Yeah, I've been here awhile now. I think I'm going to walk down to that coffee shop and get a cup," he looked to the group. "Anyone need anything?"

The team shook their heads; it was still early, and most had something to drink with them for the morning. Andy put the paperwork he'd just printed back on his desk and turned back to Provenza, "Provenza, as the officer in charge, I'm letting you know I'll be right back," he smirked. "Oh!" he snapped his fingers and nodded, "That reminds me that I can drop off dry cleaning while I'm out. They should be open now."

"Since when did you start bringing your dry cleaning here, Sir?" Julio asked. Andy, who had his back to the group, grinned. He couldn't have planned a better question; it fit right into his plot.

"Oh, it's not mine," he chuckled and opened Sharon's door. He stepped into her office, grabbed the hanging clothing off the door, and he closed it. "Well, it's for Sharon," he grinned. "I told her I'd drop it off for her." Andy made sure the white shirt, the same white shirt Provenza would recognize, was on the outside of the stack of clothing. Normally, Sharon dropped off her dry cleaning near her house, and that was still the plan, but Andy could act like he was taking it to the dry cleaner near work. Really, he was going to drop it off at his car.

Provenza, who at that moment, was sipping his coffee, made eye contact with Andy and the shirt, and he about choked on his coffee, spitting some of it out on his desk. The rest of the team quickly turned toward Provenza to see what had happened. Andy just kept a straight face and continued to hold onto the hangers.

"Provenza, something wrong?" Andy asked in a very flat tone. Provenza coughed, trying to clear his throat, and when he finally caught his breath, he glared at Andy. "Oh, do you need a cup of coffee now?"

"Get out of here," Provenza muttered. "Just," he waved, "go get your coffee."

Andy shrugged when his gaze met Julio's glance, and he just nodded to the group, "Okay, I'll be back after I drop off the dry cleaning and get a cup of coffee."

"Sir, you're dropping off the captain's dry cleaning?" Julio raised an eyebrow as he continued to look at the shirt visible in Andy's grasp.

"Yeah?" Andy asked, pretending he was unaware of a problem. Julio glanced at it again and tried to hold back a smile.

"Guess I didn't hear you before," he looked to Andy and gave him a very faint shake of the head. Again, Andy held back his own smile and just threw them a wave.

"I'll be back," he said and left the room. When he got onto the elevator to head to the parking garage, he sent Sharon a quick text, "Shirt was priceless. Tell you later. A," he typed and sent to her. She read the text and sent back a quick smiley face. Andy took his time dropping off the clothing and getting his cup of coffee. As he was on his way upstairs, Sharon sent him a text that she expected to be back at work in a half hour. The timing would work out perfectly. He smiled, got off the elevator with his cup of coffee, and he walked back to the office.

Everyone was hard at work when Andy returned; he didn't interrupt anyone and walked quietly to his desk. He sat down and got back to work on his computer. He checked the time, noting approximately when Sharon would be arriving. It was hard focusing, but he managed to do so until he heard her heels clicking down the hall. He turned slightly to watch for her, and he noted the rest of the team did so as well.

"Well, good morning everyone," Sharon said, a little out of breath. She had a habit of walking quickly, and she had done it just now. "I hope you are all off to a good start this morning. I just finished a meeting with Andrea about an upcoming trial."

Sharon focused on talking to the group and not looking at any one person. She knew if she looked at Andy, she might start laughing, just as she knew if she looked at Provenza, she WOULD start laughing. Suddenly, Provenza threw down his pencil and pointed at Andy.

"What did I do?" Andy yelled at Provenza and tried to look like the victim. Provenza pointed at him and then at Sharon.

"You two," he shook his head in disgust. "Captain, really?"

"Lieutenant," she asked, "is there a problem?" Sharon crossed her arms and pursed her lips. She looked to him and then to the rest of the team. They weren't sure what was going on with the three detectives. Provenza just gestured at Sharon, who had her blazer folded over her arm and was standing there in her white blouse and black skirt with her favorite black heels. "Lieutenant?" she asked again.

Provenza snapped out of his stare down with Andy; he'd turned back to him after seeing Sharon in a white blouse, not the exact same one she'd had on the night before because that, well, he'd already seen today, but a white blouse, which was a reminder of the evening the three had shared.

"Long day already, Captain," he grumbled and turned back to his desk.

Sharon hummed in agreement, "Yes, I didn't get much sleep. I understand." She started for her office, and Provenza's eyes flew open to stare at Andy, who was grinning as Sharon walked by his desk. Provenza saw Andy wink at Sharon, and he waited until she was in her office with the door closed before he started again.

"Flynn!" he yelled, and the team, still watching the scene, knowing something was going on between the men, turned toward Andy.

"What now?" Andy yelled back at him. "What is wrong with you today, Provenza?"

"Ahh, flower delivery," they all turned to the door at the sound of a strange voice. Andy grinned and looked to the floor as he did, the next part of the plan in progress.

"Oh, who got flowers?" Julio asked the delivery guy. There were several people who worked in the division, not just the team, so it wasn't uncommon for things to be delivered.

"These are for a Captain Raydor," the guy read the name of the card and looked to the team. Andy stood quickly.

"I'll take those," he flashed a grin at the team and walked to the delivery guy. "That's her office there," he nodded to where Sharon was. "Thanks," he nodded to the delivery guy and made a point to give him a tip in front of the team, making it clear, if it wasn't already, that he'd ordered the flowers. The delivery guy nodded and turned to leave, as Andy turned toward Sharon's door.

"Flowers!" Provenza yelled, and the team chuckled. Andy shrugged.

"Who says they are from me?" he winked at Provenza and walked to Sharon's door. Before he opened it, Provenza continued with his rant.

"Last night!" he yelled. "Flynn! You've got to be kidding me!"

"What was last night?" Amy asked.

Andy tilted his head at Provenza and gave him a look, "You really want to bring up last night? You want to talk about THAT at the office?" The way he said it, the team, well, all but Provenza, started to blush and almost look away. Provenza narrowed his gaze, and Andy continued, putting any inappropriate thoughts to rest, "Provenza, you were there! Really, we're going to go into it now?" The team all looked at Andy quickly, their individual thoughts of last night apparently were not the reality. Andy waited and when Provenza didn't answer, Andy just grinned and opened Sharon's door. He closed it as she looked up from her desk.

"Andy," she smiled at him.

He shrugged, "This wasn't in our discussion, but I had this ace in my pocket," he winked as he put the flowers on her table. "I wanted to send you flowers anyway. Irritating Provenza was just a bonus."

Sharon stood and walked to them where she took a deep breath, "Oh, those smell lovely. Thank you," she reached for and squeezed his hand quickly.

"You are welcome," he winked, "and just note, I did want to send you flowers. I didn't do that just to irritate Provenza."

She chuckled, "I think I understand your odd relationship with him. How are things going?"

"Great," he flashed a smile. "Wish you could have seen him choke on his coffee when he saw the shirt from last night. It was perfect. His lunch should be arriving later." Sharon nodded, and Andy winked again, "I'm going to get back to work."

When he returned to his desk, Andy noted Provenza was not at his desk. He figured the guy needed a moment to cool off after the hits had been coming all morning. The morning continued until just after 11:00 when another delivery person arrived.

"I'm looking for a Lieutenant Provenza?" all heads turned to find a pizza delivery guy near the door.

"He's Provenza," Andy pointed at him and smirked at Provenza. Provenza looked up from his crossword, a bit shocked, and somewhat confused at the situation.

"Just wait a minute! What is going on here? I didn't order any pizza, much less," he gestured to the guy, "however many you have there."

"10, Sir," he nodded. "I have 10 pizzas here for you."

"I didn't order 10 pizzas!" Provenza yelled, and all eyes turned to find Andy grinning. He shrugged.

"Take the pizza, Provenza, go on," Andy gestured. "I paid for them, but I'm willing to share. See, that's where we are different," he put his finger to his face as Provenza stared at him, his mouth open. Amy jumped up to help the pizza guy, and the two put the pizzas on the desk behind hers. "I'm willing to share my pizzas. I don't offer to feed my friend and then take his pizza and run."

"What happened with you two?" Julio looked between the men.

"Something is off," Buzz nodded.

"Did you two have a fight or something?" Mike asked. "One of your teams lose?"

Andy nodded at Provenza, "You want to explain or me?" Provenza just scowled, so Andy started, "Provenza and I were going to have pizza and watch the game last night. He met the pizza guy at my house-"

"Which I paid for, Flynn!" Provenza pointed out.

Andy rolled his eyes, "Technically, but only because I told you I had cash for you when you got there. I've paid every other time, and because I was in a meeting, and you couldn't get into the house, you are the hero?'

"Why couldn't you get into the house?" Amy asked, the team all trying to piece together the story.

"The lock was broken, and he was stuck outside," Andy added.

"You're leaving out a KEY, KEY piece of information!" Provenza yelled, and all eyes turned to him.

"I just said the lock was broken! You couldn't get the KEY to work," Andy smirking at his play on words.

"Pizza! I could smell it from my office," the eyes all spun around to Sharon as she smiled at the team and walked across the room to investigate the pizza boxes. "Oh, I'm starving! Who ordered all this pizza? This is a treat," she grinned and turned to the team. "I've had pizza on my mind, especially after circumstances last night. I was looking forward to it, and then, no pizza," she added as she dug into the box. Normally, Sharon was the last to get food, letting her team go first, but she and Andy had talked about all of this.

"Ahh," Mike nodded, "the story continues to unfold. The captain was involved," he grinned.

"I'm still confused," Amy shook her head.

Sharon turned to the group as she took a bite of her pizza, "What is the topic?"

"Pizza, Flynn, and Provenza, Ma'am," Julio nodded, "and apparently you."

"Oh," she frowned.

"Oh, no!" Provenza stood and shook his finger at her. "You two set all this up, I see it now. You want to go there, Flynn, fine! Here it is everyone-yes, Flynn and I were supposed to meet at his house for pizza and a game. When I got there, he wasn't home, but a home invasion was underway," he smirked at Sharon.

Her eyes grew wide, and she shook her head. Provenza didn't want to discuss it anymore than she did, so he kept most details to a minimum.

"Leave Sharon out of this, Provenza! This stays between you and me," Andy yelled.

Provenza appeared to be weighing his options and then continued, "The captain was there, but she'd gotten locked out of the house because, yes, the lock was broken. She was trying to get back inside. We had to stand there and wait on Flynn," he rolled his eyes.

"Hey! I got there quickly, and Sharon was a surprise. She didn't tell me she was coming over for the evening," Andy explained.

"I wanted to make him dinner!" Sharon jumped in on things too. "He's been sick. I wanted to do something nice."

"Mmm hmm," Amy just nodded as she looked to Sharon. She looked to Julio, "You think there's more?"

"Most definitely," he narrowed his gaze and looked to the three, "but, they won't crack, especially not the captain."

"The 'more' is Provenza took the pizzas, both of the pizzas, and he left. Oh, and he took the cannoli dessert Sharon had brought too," he made a face at Provenza. "You don't steal food! You especially don't steal special desserts!"

Everyone was trying to hold back their laughter. Sharon shook her head at Provenza, "Lieutenant, I ordered those from the bakery."

He shrugged, "They were delicious, Captain. I always knew you had good taste," he glanced at Andy, "well, at least good taste in food. After my evening, those were more than deserved."

"What happened that you aren't telling us?" Buzz asked.

"Nothing! Nothing, Buzz! There are things that we don't need to discuss, not ever again! Now, where's my pizza?" Provenza grumbled as he stood. The day was only half over.


	37. Chapter 37

Sharon and Andy couldn't stop laughing. The story was too funny, all of it, and while they hadn't told Rusty every detail, he was laughing too. It was now Saturday evening, and the three had finished a nice, normal, family dinner at the condo. Rusty had cooked for them, as they had been out running errands together most of the afternoon. One stop had been the grocery store where they'd picked up the ingredients to make a salad. That, paired with the simple dinner of pork chops for Sharon and Rusty, along with baked potatoes, two other vegetables, and the salad, had made for a lovely dinner.

"Wait, is that why we have all those extra cupcakes here at the house?" Rusty gestured to the box of cupcakes sitting on the counter. Sharon had brought those home from work, and Rusty had just assumed they were from someone's birthday.

"Hmm, yes," Sharon nodded. "Andy had all of those pizzas delivered for lunch, and I made a quick call to a bakery and ordered all the cupcakes. For a little extra and because I think they heard they were going to the police station, they offered to deliver them."

"Right," Andy chuckled and shook his head, "so, we got through lunch, all that pizza," he kept laughing, "and finally, we got back to work."

"Yes, I went back into my office where I could look at my lovely flowers," she smiled brightly at Andy and then glanced over to where the flowers were on display in the living room, "and Andy was stuck with a sulking Provenza all afternoon," she chuckled. They'd told Rusty about as much as the team had heard; Sharon had gone over to surprise Andy with dinner, and she'd been locked out of the house. There was no way they were ever going to mention to Rusty the real problem with the evening, the "show" Provenza got seeing Sharon in one of Andy's shirts. They knew the team wasn't buying the whole story, but Rusty seemed to be fine with what they'd told him.

"So, when did the cupcakes arrive?" Rusty asked. They'd left out the dry-cleaning part for him, just explaining they were frustrated Provenza had taken all the food when he'd left."

"Oh, those arrived around 3:00. I didn't have a plan in place for that; I was just grateful the bakery was willing to deliver them, but the timing was perfect," Sharon grinned.

'Yeah," Andy grinned, "Provenza had just come back into the room with a fresh cup of coffee. Classic."

 _"I'm looking for a Lieutenant Provenza," they all heard and turned to the voice. They found young man, close to 20 years old, standing there with two huge boxes in his arms._

 _"I'm Provenza. What do you need?" he asked as he stood and walked toward the young man._

 _"Delivery," he gestured, pushing the boxes toward Provenza. Across the room, Andy started to laugh, and the team looked at him and then back at Provenza, wondering what was going on now with them._

 _"Flynn!" Provenza scowled and looked to Andy._

 _"I didn't do it!" Andy yelled. "That is not me," he pointed at the boxes._

 _"I'll take those," Amy stood and smiled at the young man. "I seem to be doing a lot of this today," she nodded at the boxes and put them down on an empty desk. Provenza looked at them and back at the delivery guy._

 _"Here, Kid," Andy stood and walked across the room. "Thanks for the delivery," he smiled at him and handed him some money. The young man nodded, and he left the room with Provenza still standing there wondering what was in the boxes._

 _"Looks like cupcakes," Amy turned to the room and grinned. "Lieutenant, you ordered cupcakes?"_

 _"No, I didn't," he winked at Provenza, and Provenza's face turned red._

 _"The captain did this?" he asked, now moving quickly across the room to her office. He opened it quickly, which was not his style, but after everything, Provenza's nerves were shot. "Did you order cupcakes?"_

 _"Oh," she looked up quickly and smiled, trying not to show her irritation for barging into her office. She caught Andy's eye through the glass, and he winked at her as he stood near the boxes. "They arrived. Great," she grinned and started to move toward the doorway where Provenza was standing with his arm on the knob. "I've been craving dessert, and cupcakes sounded delicious, especially after I didn't get dessert last night," she said rather directly at him. He stood back as she walked by him in the door area, and she smiled at the team as she walked to them. "Everyone, please enjoy," she nodded to the boxes. "I ordered four dozen for the division; I just had a sweet tooth today."_

 _"Something went terribly wrong at the house last night," Julio stated and shook his head. He was already standing at the cupcake box and pulled out one. He gestured with it to Sharon, "Ma'am, whatever happened, thanks for the treat today."_

 _"You're welcome," she smiled and clasped her hands in front of her. Andy was by the boxes too, and he pulled out two and put them on a plate. He walked back to Sharon and offered her the first pick._

 _Sharon started to pull apart one of the cupcakes as the team stood around eating them. Andy turned to stand next to her, and she hummed as she took a bite, "These are delicious. I was so disappointed when our dessert walked off last night," she turned to Andy and told him, deliberately intending for the rest of the team to hear._

 _"Well, those cannolis were good," Provenza smirked. "I ate them on the drive home, traumatized, I was."_

 _The team looked between the three, and they were silent, trying to put all the pieces together._

 _"So, Ma'am," Julio grinned, "I'm going to ask it only because no one else will, and we deserve to know since it's right here in front of us. Did you and the lieutenant finally work out things? Are you dating, or admitting you are dating?"_

 _Andy dropped his head and started to chuckle. Sharon elbowed him, and she started to turn red. She quickly met Julio's gaze and then looked away, "Yes, fine, yes, we're dating. I'm not ashamed of it; I just don't like talking about my personal life!"_

 _"I won!" Amy grinned. "See, I told all of you she'd come clean. She's not a liar, so there you go," she nodded._

 _"Amy!" Sharon looked to her. "I think you are also one known to come clean. I remember a discussion about a certain Lieutenant Cooper now a couple years ago," she smirked. The team all started laughing, and Amy just shook her head._

 _"Captain, what happened to the women sticking together?" she asked._

 _"You just claimed you bet on me and won," Sharon pointed out to her._

 _"Well, I bet on you, Captain, not against you," she looked to the team. "They didn't think you'd own it. They also thought you and the lieutenant would go your separate ways now," she nodded._

 _"We tired that," Andy shrugged. "Didn't like it. She's stuck with me," he gave a nod of the head toward Sharon. Sharon tried to hold back a smile, knowing the whole team was watching her, but she couldn't do it, and she broke into a full smile._

 _"Ahh, they are finally happy," Julio grinned. "Lieutenant, we'll hurt you if you hurt her."_

 _Andy's eyes grew wide, "Guys, no plans to do that, plus, we're all friends!"_

 _"Not if you hurt the captain," Buzz added. "We protect our own until anyone," he said sternly, and the team laughed, "hurts the captain. Then, we'll hurt you."_

 _"Buzz!" Sharon looked at him with surprise and continued, "I'm very surprised you'd resort to violence."_

 _He looked away, somewhat bashful, "Only for you, Captain," he gave her a small smile._

 _"Oh, please, Buzz," Provenza scowled and continued, "you would start citing rules and regulations from your reserve officer training junk, and you'd never do anything to hurt Flynn."_

 _"No one needs to hurt me!" Andy exclaimed. He reached for Sharon's hand, and she smiled as she clasped hers with his. "We're in this together. Mistakes are in the past. Forgive and move on. We are moving forward, together, as a couple."_

 _"Hmm, and that's all I'll say about that," Sharon squeezed his hand and let go of it. "I'll be in my office enjoying these cupcakes," she nodded to her plate._

 _"Hey, you're walking off with my cupcake too?" Andy frowned at Sharon._

 _"Forgive and move on," she repeated his words, looking directly at him. His mouth dropped open, and she continued to her doorway. She could hear the team laughing in the background, and at her doorway, she turned and found Andy still standing there watching her, dumbfounded she'd walked off with two cupcakes. The team was starting to move back to their desks, and Sharon grinned with one last comment, "Honey," she said with a very playful voice, one that had the whole team turn quickly. She never talked like that, and she'd never called Andy anything other than his name or rank at work. "Honey," she repeated when his eyes snapped up to meet her gaze, "get back to work." She winked toward the team, and she closed her door, but she could hear the laughing coming from the room._

Now, here, on Saturday evening, the three had just finished eating dinner and recounting the story. Rusty told them he had plans to go out for the evening, a movie with Buzz, so they sent him out to get ready for the evening. Sharon and Andy started cleaning up the kitchen together, working quickly so they could sit down and watch a movie. They finished the dishes, and Sharon suggested she make tea while Andy worked on getting the movie started on the television. The both heard a knock at the door.

"Andy, would you get that?" Sharon called to him from the kitchen. She put the mugs on a tray and carried them toward the living room to see who their guest was while Andy answered the door.

"Oh, hey, Buzz," Andy opened the door and gestured for Buzz to enter. Sharon put down the tea and turned to him.

"Buzz," she smiled. "Rusty mentioned a movie, but he didn't tell us you were picking him up this evening."

"Oh, yeah, well, I got new tires on the Prius today, and I wanted to try them out. Driving over here gave me several miles to see if they had a smooth ride," he nodded to them.

Andy shook his head, "Buzz, you're like the only person I know who drives around to try out his new tires."

Sharon chuckled and gestured for Buzz to come into the living room. Andy walked around to the other side of the couch and sat down. Buzz sat in one of the orange chairs, and Sharon called down the hall to Rusty.

"Buzz is here, Rusty," she said. They all heard grumblings coming from Rusty's room, but no one could understand what he'd said.

Sharon walked to the couch and sat down too, next to Andy. He already had his arm across the back of the couch, and he wrapped his arm around her when she sat. They weren't at work; Buzz was here, in Sharon's home, to spend time with his friend, and neither Andy nor Sharon had any problem showing their affection.

"Hey, Buzz," Rusty called to him, still carrying his shoes in his hand as he quickly walked around the couch and plopped down in a chair. He gestured to the couch. "Do you see what I have to deal with here?"

Buzz frowned at Rusty and looked to Sharon and Andy who were still sitting there, silently watching the interaction between Rusty and Buzz. "Rusty, sometimes you don't know how lucky you are."

Rusty grimaced and looked at Sharon and Andy. He then turned back to Buzz and shook his head, "There are things I just don't want to see."

"We're sitting here on the couch!" Andy exclaimed. Sharon covered her mouth, trying not to laugh, and she patted his leg.

"Well, yeah, for now," he gestured. "I don't even want to know," he grimaced.

"Rusty, what movie are you seeing?" Sharon asked, trying to change the subject and de-escalate the situation. "Buzz, Rusty might be acting like a child tonight, so thank you for putting up with him," she smiled sweetly at Buzz.

Buzz grinned and looked at Sharon and Andy, "I've handled worse at work." The three started laughing and looked to an irritated Rusty.

"This family, the friends at work," Rusty gestured with his hands and scowled, "what did I do to deserve this?"

"You got lucky, Kid," Andy smiled. "Go, enjoy your evening," he waved.

"You too, Captain, Lieutenant," Buzz nodded at each. The guys left, leaving Sharon and Andy there together, alone again.

Sharon sighed when the door closed. Andy squeezed her shoulder and kissed her head. "So, the movie I found, it might be terrible," he told her.

"I don't care," she shrugged. "This is perfect tonight. We're sitting here, together, and your health is improving. We're back on track, and this is definitely the kind of romance I want in my life," she turned and smiled brightly at him. He grinned at her and his hand played with her hand.

"So, if I told you that I missed you all week now that I'm back at home," he winked at her, "you'd be okay knowing that?"

She let out a single laugh, "Hmm, I think the feeling is mutual, even though we saw each other at work and spent several evenings having dinner together."

"You can't forget Mass; I went to Mass with you last week," he reminded her.

"I haven't forgotten," she smiled. "That was very touching."

"I'd like to go again with you tomorrow," he told her, his fingers interlacing with hers.

"I would like that too, very much," she looked at him, searching his eyes. "You can come with me as much as you'd like."

"It's a date," he said quietly, the smile on his face growing even more. "Just let me know what time to pick you up."

"Hmm," she shrugged, "we're kind of on a roll this week, traumatizing people," she grinned as she admitted that. "If that dry cleaning is in your car, and if you have any clean clothes, I'd love it if you stayed, here, with me, tonight," she said quickly, a little nervous. "I'm not ready for well," she gestured, "everything, but I miss sleeping next to you."

He smiled brightly, "One request," he nodded at her and when she gave a nod in return, he finished, "your room. I'm all for traumatizing the kid in the morning, but we stay in your room. I've had enough of his."

Sharon giggled and nodded, "Deal."

He pulled her closer, and the two snuggled in together on the couch. He nodded at the television, "It's not a romantic comedy," he explained. "It's just some stupid comedy tonight."

"Fine by me," she said quietly as she settled her head on his shoulder. "This here, us, tonight, all of this," she gestured with her hand, "is the exact kind of romantic evening I never knew I wanted."

* * *

THE END. Thank you for sticking with this story! Our idiots finally figured it out.


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